Connect for Health Colorado CEO Patty Fontneau To Take National Position with Cigna®

Ben Davis, 303.522.6790
Linda Kanamine, 720.496.2568

DENVER (July 24, 2014) — Connect for Health Colorado Chief Executive Officer Patty Fontneau announced today she will be leaving Colorado’s health insurance Marketplace next month to begin a new role as President, Private Exchange Business for Cigna (NYSE: CI), a global health service company.

Under Fontneau’s leadership, Connect for Health Colorado has been recognized as a national leader. Since opening nine months ago, the Marketplace has enrolled more than 140,000 Coloradans in private insurance and helped nearly 100,000 gain access to new tax credits that made their health coverage more affordable – all while keeping fees among the lowest in the country.

“I’m proud of the success of the staff and partners of Connect for Health Colorado. We increased access, affordability and choice for individuals, families and small businesses purchasing health insurance in Colorado. We delivered an entirely new service for Coloradans, and opened on time and under budget,” Fontneau said. “The many people behind Connect for Health Colorado will always have my gratitude for their dedication to our mission. I know I’m leaving behind a strong team and a financially healthy organization that will keep serving our state for years to come.”

In December 2011, Fontneau was among the first employees to join what became known as Connect for Health Colorado. She will be leaving her post in mid-August.

“Patty Fontneau led Colorado’s health insurance exchange from infancy to becoming one of the top-performing exchanges in the nation. She set a tone of positive attitude and customer-focused energy, and inspired staff and contractors to work as a cohesive team in the face of aggressive deadlines and an ever-changing regulatory environment,” said Board Chair Sharon O’Hara, Executive Vice President of the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the National MS Society. “She’s leaving the organization in excellent shape as we ready for the second year of open enrollments, and we all wish her well.”

“We are excited to welcome Patty to Cigna to lead our emerging Private Exchange Market business which is growing rapidly,” said David Guilmette, Cigna’s President, Global Employer and Private Exchanges. He added, “She will work with our client teams to expand our proprietary private retail exchange and participation in other private exchanges across the country.”

The Connect for Health Colorado Board of Directors plans to name an interim CEO within a week. The Executive Committee of the Board – Chair Sharon O’Hara; Vice Chair Arnold Salazar; and Secretary Mike Fallon, MD– plan to hire a professional firm to help them conduct the search for the next chief executive to lead the organization.

Past Board Chair and current member Gretchen Hammer, Executive Director of the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved, praised Fontneau for her tireless work and leadership during the startup phase of the state’s insurance marketplace.

“Patty is leaving a lasting legacy of public service that will help hundreds of thousands of Coloradans access healthcare and maintain financial security for years to come. We are all sad to see her leave, and we are grateful and humbled by her unfailing commitment to her team, key stakeholders and the organization over the last two-and-a-half years.”

About Connect for Health Colorado

Connect for Health Colorado is a public, non-profit entity established in law by the Colorado General Assembly in 2011.  It opened for business on Oct. 1, 2013 for individuals, families and small employers to compare and buy health insurance and apply for tax credits to help make their insurance more affordable.  Customers can shop online; get help by phone or chat from expert Customer Service Center representatives; and find in person assistance from certified brokers and agents, community based certified Health Coverage Guides or Certified Application Counselors.

The next open enrollment period for individuals and families is Nov. 15, 2014 through Feb. 15, 2015.   For more information: www.connectforhealthco.com

Cigna contact

Michelle Vroom
267-664-0787
[email protected]