But he stands out mostly because of his race. Currie is black, one of only a handful of minority executives running health plans around the country. Nobody is sure exactly how many minority-managed health plans exist, but the numbers are certainly small. Time in business varies, too, but minority-run plans share a few basic characteristics. Most important is their dedication to community health.
Many plans are spin-offs of federally funded community health centers.
Most receive Medicaid. Total Health Care, a Baltimore HMO that started out as a community health clinic, gets two-thirds of its members from Medicaid, and about 80 percent of Unity's members once came from the Medicaid program in Illinois. Those numbers reflect community involvement, but also substantial business risk. Medicaid recipients tend to be in poorer health than the general population. We exist because we're trying to make a difference in these communities, but that comes at a significant risk.