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Kathleen Billingsley Joins Blue Shield of California as Vice President of CalPERS, UC Sector

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (March 3, 2015) --- Kathleen Billingsley has joined Blue Shield of California as vice president of CalPERS and University of California sector. She will be responsible for the program, product and account management teams.

Billingsley most recently served as the chief deputy director of Policy and Programs at the California Department of Public Health, where she was responsible for leading several strategic policy initiatives and overseeing the budgets for the Public Health Emergency Preparedness, State Laboratory, Health Statistics and Informatics and the Centers for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Prior to her role at CDPH, Billingsley was assistant executive officer for Health Policy and Planning at the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), where she managed the administration of health benefits for more than 1.3 million active and retired public employees and their families.

“Billingsley has more than 25 years of healthcare industry experience and the right balance of technical and strategic expertise to drive this sector,” said Michelle Simpson, senior vice president of Enterprise Sales and Service. “During her time at CalPERS, she worked closely with our Blue Shield team and was respected for her insight, intelligence and partnership.” Billingsley will report to Simpson.

“I’ve long admired Blue Shield and am excited to join a not-for-profit focused on providing high-quality health care at an affordable price," said Billingsley. "I welcome the responsibility of improving care for public employees and retirees throughout California."

Contact: Clinton McGue, 415-229-5359, media@blueshieldca.com

Background on Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health plan with 3.5 million members, 5,000 employees and more than $13 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 and headquartered in San Francisco, Blue Shield of California provides health, dental, vision, and Medicare health care service plans in California. The company’s mission is to ensure all Californians have access to high-quality care at an affordable price. Blue Shield has contributed more than $325 million over the past ten years to the Blue Shield of California Foundation. Contact your local agent or broker about Blue Shield of California products and services, or visit www.blueshieldca.com.