SEATTLE – Regence BlueShield is pleased to name Melissa Powell as vice president of network management, effective immediately. In her new role, Powell will develop and maintain innovative, collaborative partnerships with providers across the state of Washington that share Regence’s commitment to quality, effective and affordable care. 

Powell was previously the director of provider contracting for Regence BlueShield, while also performing many of the duties of vice president of network management on an interim basis. Before starting at Regence, she served as director of network operations and contracting for IlliniCare Health, an Illinois health plan then owned by Centene.

“Melissa already has excellent relationships with providers across our state, and we are thrilled for her to evolve these partnerships in the vice president role,” said Tim Lieb, president of Regence BlueShield. “Regence is proud to be leading the way in value-based care, working hand-in-hand with our provider partners in using data and innovation to make health care more effective and more affordable for our members.”

In Powell’s 16-year career in the health care industry, she has worked on both the provider and payer side, providing a 360-degree view into how the health care system works and areas most in need of improvement.

“Managing our provider network is so much more than contracting,” Powell said. “I look forward to maintaining meaningful partnerships with providers and working closely with them to create innovative solutions.” 

Regence has taken several actions to support members and providers during the COVID-19 public health crisis, including:

  • Providing no-cost COVID-19 treatment to fully insured members through March 31, 2021, as well as no-cost testing, and reaching out proactively to high-risk members. Learn more about how we’re supporting members at regence.com/go/covid-19.
  • Working collaboratively with providers to support them through economic challenges, including expediting claims payments, removing pre-authorizations for select services, and reimbursing them for telehealth services at the same rate as in-person care. Learn more about how we’re supporting providers during the pandemic at regence.com/provider/library/whats-new/covid-19/covid-19-telehealth.

About Regence BlueShield
Regence BlueShield has been serving Washingtonians in select counties for over a century and now provides more than 1.3 million members with comprehensive health insurance solutions. As a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Regence is part of a family of companies dedicated to transforming health care by delivering innovative products and services that change the way consumers nationwide experience health care. For more information, please visit regence.com, facebook.com/regenceblueshieldwa or twitter.com/regencewa.