Washington Health Benefit Exchange Board Chair to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

Seattle Business magazine will recognize Margaret Stanley at the 2013 Leaders in Health Care Awards

SEATTLE (February 13, 2013) — Margaret Stanley, board chair for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, has been selected for Seattle Business magazine’s 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the magazine’s fifth annual Leaders in Health Care Awards program. The awards recognize individuals and institutions that are making outstanding contributions toward improving the quality and affordability of health care in Washington state.

Stanley is recognized nationally for her commitment to quality improvement and cost effectiveness in the health care field. With more than 30 years of experience, she has previously served as the administrator of the Washington State Health Care Authority, the health benefits administrator of the California Public Employees' Retirement System, an executive at Regence BlueShield and most recently as executive director of the Puget Sound Health Alliance.

“We are proud to see Margaret recognized for her many contributions to Washington’s thriving health care community,” said Richard Onizuka, chief executive officer for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. “She is an invaluable member of our board and we are honored to share in her knowledge and expertise as we develop our state’s new online insurance marketplace, Washington Healthplanfinder.”

Stanley will keynote the 2013 Leaders in Health Care Awards dinner on February 28 at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle. The event draws many of the Puget Sound’s leading health care executives, managers and providers.

“Having Margaret Stanley address the health care community is a special treat,” said Michael Romoser, associate publisher of Seattle Business magazine. “That our judges deemed her worthy of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award makes the event even more noteworthy. Margaret’s career in health care is perfectly illustrative of what the Leaders in Health Care Awards recognize.”

Find more information about the 2013 Leaders in Health Care Awards at seattlebusinessmag.com.

Find more information about the Washington Health Benefit Exchange at wahbexchange.org.

About Seattle Business magazine

Seattle Business is a monthly magazine read by more than 100,000 business executives across the state. Annual events tied to its editorial coverage include the Executive Excellence Awards, Leaders in Health Care, the Washington Manufacturing Awards, Tech Impact Awards, Washington’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, the Green Washington Awards and Washington's Family Business Awards. Seattle Business is owned by Minneapolis-based Tiger Oak Media, which also publishes Seattle magazine, Seattle Bride magazine and more than 20 other leading regional magazines.

About Washington Healthplanfinder

Washington Healthplanfinder will be a new online marketplace for individuals, families and small businesses in Washington to compare and enroll in health insurance coverage and gain access to tax credits, reduced cost sharing, and public programs such as Medicaid. Washington Healthplanfinder will begin enrolling consumers on October 1, 2013, for health insurance coverage beginning on January 1, 2014.

About the Washington Health Benefit Exchange

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange is a public-private partnership established in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) with the goal to redefine people’s experience with health care through the creation of a new health insurance marketplace for individuals and small businesses. The Exchange is

separate from the state and governed by an independent 11-member board appointed by Gov. Gregoire in December 2011.

###