Striving toward new heights: The diverse experiences of Keenan's Henry R. Loubet offer comprehensive insight into healthcare

When you reach the summit, what do you do once you get there? Sit back and enjoy the view? Or look for new mountains to conquer? After being named senior vice president/chief strategy officer for Keenan, a multi-line insurance brokerage and consulting firm in Torrance, Calif., Henry R. Loubet, responded this way: "I'm broadening my horizons by taking advantage of the depth of the overall background that I have in the world of healthcare and managed care."

In 1989, as senior vice president and regional executive of Health Net, Loubet helped create one of California's first state-wide health plans, with 500,000 members. Subsequently, as president of Foundation Health of California, and CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Western Region, he continued to hone his healthcare and thought-leadership skills. Almost a decade later, Loubet's strategic direction as vice chairman/chief operating officer of the online pharmacy http://DrugEmporium.com/, helped position it for a successful buyout within two years of its launch.

Loubet also founded a non-profit golf program for disadvantaged youth called Ace Kids Golf in 1989 that operates in Northern California.

"In all my professional and personally driven endeavors, whether it is with the healthcare industry, non-profits or wine making, I am driven by a genuine desire and passion to make a difference, to be a leader and an innovator," Loubet says.

Q. Do you see a future in traditional HMO products?

A. HMO products are time-tested relative to providing value and for the services delivered, and really serve as the primary managed care product today, along with PPOs, to millions of Americans in both the commercial sector as well as Medicaid and Medicare. [HMOs] have a proven track record in delivering cost-effective, high-quality care. In addition, the recent Medicare reforms seem to have revitalized the HMO market, and as the generation that 'grew up' in HMOs moves into retirement, this kind of managed care delivery will continue to exist and be popular with retirees. Ultimately, HMOs will continue to be a major product in the insurance industry.

Q. What are your thoughts on consumer-directed care?

A. Consumerism must be viewed in a larger perspective, beyond only being a type of healthcare product like consumer-directed health plans. It is about the cultivation of tools, and the power of knowledge being wielded by consumers to effectively operate within the provider delivery system and to make the adjustments needed to affordably access the care they need. It is the type of healthcare delivery that puts the consumer in the center of the healthcare navigational experience. It focuses on accountability, transparency and taking responsibility for one's health. The consumer is much more directly impacted economically by the decisions they make in accessing healthcare.