Leadership
Craig E. Samitt, MD, MBA
Director Finance and Insurance Development
Craig E. Samitt, MD, MBA is American Health’s Director Finance and Insurance Development
He also acts as Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and its parent
company Stella, Dr. Craig E. Samitt is responsible for overseeing the strategy and operations of the
state’s first and largest health plan.
Dr. Samitt came to Blue Cross in July 2018 from Anthem, Inc., where he served as executive vice
president and president of their Diversified Business Group. He built partnerships within and
outside of Anthem to provide new sources of growth for the enterprise and deepened Anthem’s
relationships and impact across the healthcare ecosystem. Concurrently, he led and executed a
nationwide clinical vision and strategy as Anthem’s chief clinical officer. Dr. Samitt’s numerous
accomplishments at Anthem include advancing the company’s portfolio of provider partnerships
and payment innovation models, leading quality improvements in patient outcomes and increasing the delivery of value-based care.
An internal medicine physician by training, Dr. Samitt has worked across multiple sectors within the health care industry. His career includes a number of senior executive positions, including partner and global provider practice leader at Oliver V’vyman; president and CEO of HealthCare Partners. a subsidiary of DaVita HealthCare; and president and CEO of Dean Health System Inc., one of the largest integrated health systems in the Midwest.
For nearly 25 years, Dr. Samitt has been a nationally recognized expert and thought leader on health care delivery and policy. His record of collaborating across the health care system to deliver higher quality care at a lower cost led to him being named as one of the “50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders” by Modern Healthcare in 2018.
Dr. Samitt currently serves on multiple boards, including the National Committee for Quality Assurance; the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation; Prime Therapeutics; Minnesota Business Partnership; the Minnesota Council of Health Plans; and the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, he is a former commissioner of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), an independent agency that advises Congress on Medicare payment policy.
Dr. Samitt holds an undergraduate degree from Tufts University, a medical degree from Columbia University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. He completed a medical residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.