Ms. Ignagni graduated from Providence (R.I.) College in 1971, part of the first class of women to attend the school. After graduation, she took a position analyzing health-related spending in the Social Securing Administration. She stayed there for two years until moving to the Committee for National Health Insurance, where she studied employer and individual responsibility concerning programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
After two years at the CNHI, Ms. Ignagni went to Capitol Hill to work as a Democratic staffer on the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. In 1982, her experience with Social Security and employee pension legislation led to a job with the AFL-CIO, an umbrella organization for U.S. unions. She spent 11 years negotiating with managed care plans, such as HMOs and PPOs, with the goal of reducing healthcare costs. In 1985, she received an executive M.B.A. from Loyola University in Baltimore, Md.
Ms. Ignagni became president of the American Association of Health Plans in 1993. In her current position, she lobbies politicians on behalf of American insurance companies, a role that has drawn some criticism from advocates of universal health insurance. In 2003, when the American Association of Health Plans merged with the Health Insurance of America to become America’s Health Insurance Plans, Ms. Ignagni was chosen as president and CEO – one of the most influential positions in American healthcare.
Unlike her opposition to the Clintons’ health reform plan of the early 90’s, Ms. Ignagni started as a tentative supporter of President Obama’s health reform plan. In 2009, the AHIP decided to take a more collaborative approach to the upcoming legislation by researching areas in need of change and proposing plans for reform. Despite the proactive measures, the AHIP ultimately disagreed with the reform plan and publicly opposed the bill. Specifically, Ms. Ignagni opposes charging high-end or “Cadillac” insurance plans to defray the costs of healthcare reform, arguing that the charges could ultimately make coverage less affordable.
Read the letter to Sen. Baucus from Karen Ignagni reacting to the initial health reform bill.
