Former Blue Cross Exec Tapped For Insurance Commissioner

Michael Caljouw, a former executive at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, will become the state’s next insurance commissioner, officials announced Wednesday.

Gov. Maura Healey tapped Caljouw to lead the Division of Insurance starting Nov. 4, turning to someone with extensive experience in both the public and private sector.

Caljouw most recently worked as vice president for state and federal government and regulatory affairs at BCBS of Massachusetts. He has also worked as deputy director, chief of staff and general counsel for DOI — the office he will now lead — as well as senior counsel at the law firm Holland and Knight.

Healey’s office said Caljouw played a key role in crafting HMO insolvency and cost containment laws in Massachusetts and was responsible “for insurance rate decisions and the review of major insurance mergers and acquisitions.”

“Massachusetts is home to a leading insurance sector that contributes billions to the state’s GDP and employs tens of thousands of residents,” Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao said in a statement. “The Division of Insurance plays an important role in overseeing and partnering with the industry to promote a stable and fair insurance market for carriers and consumers, and we are excited to have Commissioner Caljouw at the helm of this vital agency.”

Brooke Thomson, president of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts where Caljouw once served on the board, praised him as an “exceptional choice” for the job, describing his “unparalleled blend of private-sector and public-sector insurance policy experience.”

“Mike was a key figure in Massachusetts health-care reform and was a valued member of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts Board of Directors, where he served as a tremendous resource to employers navigating the complex world of health care in Massachusetts,” Thomson said.