Alignment Healthcare CEO Adds Chairman Role As Medicare Business Grows

InnovationHealthcareAlignment Healthcare CEO Adds Chairman Role As Medicare Business GrowsByBruce Japsen,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bruce Japsen writes about healthcare business and policy.Follow AuthorMay 12, 2026, 06:34pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Alignment Healthcare founder and chief executive officer John Kao is adding the role of chairman as the company bolsters its management team amid growth of its Medicare Advantage business.Alignment HealthcareAlignment Healthcare is bolstering its management team, adding the chairman’s role to top executive and founder John Kao’s duties while promoting several other executives as the company sells more Medicare Advantage plans. The announcement Tuesday afternoon comes after the company has turned profitable even as health insurers who sell Medicare Advantage plans struggle to contain costs of older adults with high medical expenses.Medicare Advantage plans contract with the federal government to provide traditional coverage available in traditional Medicare plus extra benefits and services to seniors, such as disease management and nurse help hotlines with some also offering vision, dental care and wellness programs. Like many of its rival health insurers, particularly those in the Medicare Advantage business, Alignment has been battling rising medical expenses from customers in its health plans.But Alignment first quarter earnings report two weeks ago showed the company’s medical benefit ratio, which is the percentage of premium revenue that goes toward medical costs, was down to 88%. Rivals have had such ratios at 90% or greater.“Alignment is making strong progress as we enter our next phase of growth,” Kao, 64, who founded Alignment in 2013 and has been its CEO through a 2021 initial public offering, said in a statement. “Taking on the role of Chairman allows me t...