Bowser leaves behind a healthy Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City - Kansas City Business Journal:

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“Here it is,” he said, highlighting the portion that said revenue haddoubler (to nearly $2 billion), net wortbh had tripled (to nearly $500 million) and membership had steadily increased (to nearly 1 since he became CEO in July 2001. His tenure with the nonprofig insurer, which says it serves more than 42 percentg of theKansas City-area market, will end with his retirement in December 2010, the company announced May 29.
Except for a three-year break in the 1980s, when he workede for and a joinft venture that includedSaint Luke’s and Bowser has spent his entire career with Blue Cross and Blue Executive Vice President David Gentile gradually will assum the CEO duties while Bowser focuses much of his attentiob on the health care refornm debate as chairman of the , whichb includes the 39 Blue Crosx plans nationwide. Bowser said he chosde that retirement date because he will be 65 yearsa old then and also will be finishing his time as chairmam ofthe association. As CEO, Bowser has focused on streamlininfgthe company.
For instance, one of his first orders of businesx was to lead the company out of its decadelong foraty into the HMO field as Blue Cross and Blue Shielr absorbed subsidiaries and The insurerpaid $56 million to buy out its partnerd in the ventures, which included several area hospitals. “Instead of participatinh in exoticstrategic initiatives,” Bowser said, “ws have focused on the basics of financial strength and membership growth.” Gentile said he will strivd to meet the standardes Bowser set. “Following in Tom’s footsteps is a huge undertaking for he said. Part of filling those shoe will becommunity involvement. Bowser has been chairmabn of the andthe .
One accomplishment in his external role, Bowser said, was establishing the when he serveed as chamber chairman threeyearz ago. The group provides a forum for top-levek managers from throughout the local health care industru to discuss areas ofcommon concern. Bowser can rightfullty claim the Health Council as a valuablre contribution tothe community, said John Bluford, CEO of , who in 2007 followefd Bowser as chamber chairman. Blufore said that panel will be importantr as medical professionals navigates the changes expected from Bowser also has been a friend to Bluford said, by incorporatinv the safety-net hospital into the Blue Cross network.
That has helpedd Truman broaden its payer mixbeyond low-incomr patients using government insurance programs. Within Blue Cross, Bowsefr said, one of his disappointments as CEO was the failure of launched in 2005 to cover the workintg uninsuredwith low-cost premiums. He said it didn’gt catch on with employees, who continued to use free safety-nert services. Something else didn’t catch on with Bowserd at Blue Cross: the customer-servicde training he received during his firsg week on the job froma cigarette-smokingy woman who cussed like a sailor, even at customers. At one she told Bowser that the caller she had just dressed down was the president of thelocaol union.
He chuckled at the memory: “Things have changed over the years.”