CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield on Tuesday named Kurt Small as its next president and CEO, pulling a veteran Medicaid executive out of Elevance Health and into the top job at the Baltimore-based nonprofit insurer. The move follows Brian Pieninck’s August 2025 departure and a stretch under interim CEO Ja'Ron Bridges, and it drops a seasoned government-program operator into one of the region’s most closely watched healthcare roles.
Elevance Veteran Steps In At The Top
According to the Washington Business Journal, the CareFirst board selected Small for the position today. The outlet reports that Small left his leadership post overseeing Elevance’s Medicaid business to take the helm at CareFirst.
Background: Medicaid Experience
The Yale School of Management lists Small as President of Medicaid at Elevance Health and notes that he has more than 25 years of healthcare leadership experience. His résumé there includes running Elevance’s Commercial East region and serving as chief operating officer for its Government Health Benefits division. Yale also cites earlier executive roles at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Minnesota, Aetna, and Highmark, giving him a long track record in government programs and payer operations. That history positions him to guide CareFirst’s Medicaid and Medicare work across the Mid-Atlantic.
Why It Matters Locally
CareFirst serves members across Maryland, the District of Columbia, and parts of Virginia, and in recent years has expanded its Medicare and Medicaid offerings, a strategic shift that aligns with Small’s background, according to CareFirst. The insurer previously announced that Pieninck would step down on Aug. 4, 2025, to become CEO of GuideWell and that Ja'Ron Bridges would serve as interim CEO while the board searched for a permanent successor. Small’s selection closes that search and hands day-to-day leadership to an executive steeped in state and federal health program work.
What’s Next
CareFirst and its board are expected to detail an onboarding plan and outline Small’s immediate priorities in the coming weeks. Industry observers say his deep government-program experience is likely to shape CareFirst’s stance on Medicaid policy, its relationships with providers, and the insurer’s community investment strategies across the region.
