Horizon CEO Robert Marino to retire; Kevin Conlin to take over

Robert Marino, the president and chief executive officer of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, who led the insurer through the wake of Obamacare and conflicts with state lawmakers, will retire Jan. 1, the company said Thursday.

He will be replaced by Kevin Conlin, Horizon's executive vice president and chief operating officer.

"Under Kevin's leadership, Horizon will be well positioned to continue redefining health care in New Jersey through innovative models of care that put the health and wellness of our customers in sharp focus," Marino said in a statement.

Newark-based Horizon is New Jersey's biggest health insurance company, with 3.8 million members.

Marino had spent 40 years at Horizon, including the last six as its chief. His tenure saw the company begin to shift the health insurance model by paying providers not for each service they performed, but for the quality of their care.

It began to collaborate with doctors more closely and touted improvements in patients' health: lower rates of inpatient admissions and emergency room visits, and higher rates of preventive medicine.

The company didn't always make friends. It introduced Omnia, a plan that offered lower out-of-pocket costs for consumers who visited providers who were in its top network, but it faced lawsuits from providers who were left out.

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And it found an enemy in Gov. Chris Christie, who wanted to use part of its surplus to pay for drug addiction treatment for low-income residents. Horizon eventually won the battle, but not before Christie and lawmakers shut down the state over the July 4 weekend last summer.

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Marino's tenure, however, won praise.

"He's had the strength and vision to place the interests of Horizon's members first, and his work to lower health care costs and improve quality outcomes has had a profound impact on New Jersey's businesses and employees," Tom Bracken, president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement.

Michael L. Diamond; @mdiamondapp; 732-643-4038; mdiamond@gannettnj.com