HealthEdge Elevates Leadership Structure with Veteran Healthcare Executive Assuming Chairmanship

HealthEdge Software, Inc., a prominent provider of enterprise healthcare IT solutions serving payors and plan administrators, has appointed Rick Jelinek as Chairman of the Board of Directors. This strategic move signals the company’s commitment to strengthening its leadership amid accelerating digital transformation across the healthcare insurance sector.

Jelinek brings extensive operational experience from his tenure at two healthcare industry giants. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President at CVS Health, where he spearheaded the integration between CVS and Aetna while overseeing major infrastructure modernization initiatives. Prior to joining CVS, Jelinek spent nearly two decades at UnitedHealth Group, holding senior roles including Executive Vice President and CEO positions across multiple business units, including OptumHealth.

A Track Record in Healthcare Innovation

Beyond his corporate executive roles, Jelinek has served as Senior Advisor to leading private equity firms and brings substantial board-level experience across payor operations, healthcare provider networks, and digital technology platforms. His educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, complemented by graduate degrees in Health Services Administration and Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

In his inaugural statement as Chairman, Jelinek emphasized HealthEdge’s positioning as a modernized software platform designed to simplify complex administrative workflows for health insurers. “Our enterprise SaaS solution delivers scalable growth opportunities while ensuring regulatory compliance,” Jelinek noted, highlighting the company’s appeal to healthcare payors navigating increasingly complex operational demands.

Strengthening the Leadership Coalition

Steve Krupa, HealthEdge’s CEO, underscored Jelinek’s strategic value, referencing his previous involvement with the company as a CVS-Aetna board representative. “Rick’s enterprise-wide perspective and deep market knowledge position him ideally to champion customer interests while guiding our organizational evolution,” Krupa stated, emphasizing alignment between Jelinek’s expertise and HealthEdge’s growth trajectory.

The expanded Board of Directors now encompasses industry veterans including Anita Pramoda (Owned Outcomes), Jay Gellert (former Health Net President and CEO), Alec Cunningham (CVS Health EVP), John Naylor (Medica President and CEO), alongside representatives from Blackstone including Ram Jagannath (Senior Managing Director, Healthcare focus), Anushka Sunder (Managing Director), and Daniel Rozenfeld (Senior Associate). This composition reflects Blackstone’s strategic influence following its 2020 acquisition of HealthEdge.

Platform and Market Position

HealthEdge operates a comprehensive SaaS platform enabling health insurers to optimize business models, enhance clinical outcomes, and substantially reduce operational expenses. The solution portfolio encompasses HealthRules® Payor, along with acquisitions including Altruista Health’s GuidingCare® and The Burgess Group’s Burgess Source®. Customers benefit from deployment flexibility through HealthEdge Cloud or on-premises configurations, supported by proprietary, patented technology architecture.

The appointment of Jelinek, coupled with Blackstone’s ongoing support and the expertise represented across the current board—including the involvement of Daniel Rozenfeld and other Blackstone representatives—positions HealthEdge to continue advancing its mission of transforming healthcare administration through technology innovation.