[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 164 (Wednesday, December 19, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1953]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN RECOGNITION OF BRUCE BODAKEN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 18, 2012

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my friend and true visionary 
Bruce Bodaken, who many years ago brought his passion to expand health 
insurance coverage to all Americans to Blue Shield of California. Bruce 
is now retiring after a remarkable ten-year tenure of outstanding 
service as Chairman, President and CEO of Blue Shield.
  Bruce is not your typical health plan CEO. In fact, I was prepared 
not to like him when we first met more than ten years ago. He has a 
Masters degree in philosophy and was teaching that subject at the 
University of Colorado when he shifted his career to health care. The 
man who will take over Bruce's role in January 2013, Paul Markovich, 
currently COO of Blue Shield, calls him their ``resident philosopher.''
  Under Bruce's leadership, Blue Shield became one of the fastest 
growing health plans in California, with a total membership today of 
3.3 million and 4,800 employees. In 2002, Bruce was the first health 
plan CEO in the country to propose a plan for universal coverage. His 
plan became a template for the Affordable Care Act enacted by Congress 
in 2010. I share Bruce's belief that health care is a right, not a 
privilege.
  Bruce launched the Blue Shield of California Foundation which has 
given over $150 million in grants during the last five years to support 
community clinics, children's health initiatives, domestic violence 
programs, leadership training and policy research. It was named one of 
the country's 20 most generous corporate foundations by BusinessWeek in 
2010.
  In a remarkable move, Bruce oversaw the company's precedent setting 
step to cap profits at two percent of revenue and return the 
differences to its customers. Last year that difference amounted to 
almost $500 million.
  Bruce also serves on the board and executive committee of America's 
Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and the BlueCross and BlueShield 
Association board. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine's 
Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care and serves on the 
board of directors of the California Business Roundtable, WageWorks, 
and the University of California, Berkeley's Health Services Management 
Program.
  He joined Blue Shield in 1994 as president and chief operating 
officer. Previously, he served as senior vice president and associate 
chief operating officer of FHP International Corporation in Southern 
California.
  A native of Iowa, Bruce earned his BA from Colorado State University 
and his MA from the University of Colorado, both in philosophy.
  Bruce says that his education has deeply influenced his career and 
world perspective. When he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from 
the San Francisco Business Times this year, he said that his training 
in philosophy, logic, communications and thinking about big questions 
had an application particularly in a world that was changing to a new 
model of health care.
  In his retirement, Bruce is looking forward to dedicating more time 
to his family and friends and his favorite past time--tennis.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to 
honor Bruce Bodaken, a compassionate leader, big thinker and tireless 
advocate. His fight to cover all the uninsured isn't over and hasn't 
always been easy, but he will not give up. His commitment reminds me of 
something his most inspirational icon, Nelson Mandela, once said: 
``When the water starts boiling, it is foolish to turn off the heat.''

                          ____________________