L A Care Program

The generally well-regarded chief of L.A. Care, responsible for the largest public managed care program in the nation, has resigned, apparently under pressure from board members. The resignation of Anthony D. Rodgers was worked out in a closed-door session. It came two weeks after Rodgers was placed on leave because the board accused him of failing to disclose his marriage to a Blue Cross official, an alleged conflict of interest.

The founding chief executive and president of the California Wellness Foundation has been appointed to head L.A. Care, the nation's largest public managed-care program, officials announced Tuesday. Howard Khan, 45, a former Cigna Healthcare senior executive, will take the helm in December at the Los Angeles County managed-care organization for the poor, said Robert Tranquada, chairman of the board of governors for L.A. Care.

Federal regulators have given a thumbs-up to Los Angeles County's massive foray into managed care for more than a million poor patients, allowing the program to swing into full gear the first of next year. "We're comfortable at this point, which we absolutely were not . . . before," said Linda Minamoto, a manager in the Medicaid division of the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration.

The generally well-regarded chief of L.A. Care, responsible for the largest public managed care program in the nation, has resigned, apparently under pressure from board members. The resignation of Anthony D. Rodgers was worked out in a closed-door session. It came two weeks after Rodgers was placed on leave because the board accused him of failing to disclose his marriage to a Blue Cross official, an alleged conflict of interest.

The founding chief executive and president of the California Wellness Foundation has been appointed to head L.A. Care, the nation's largest public managed-care program, officials announced Tuesday. Howard Khan, 45, a former Cigna Healthcare senior executive, will take the helm in December at the Los Angeles County managed-care organization for the poor, said Robert Tranquada, chairman of the board of governors for L.A. Care.

Federal regulators have given a thumbs-up to Los Angeles County's massive foray into managed care for more than a million poor patients, allowing the program to swing into full gear the first of next year. "We're comfortable at this point, which we absolutely were not . . . before," said Linda Minamoto, a manager in the Medicaid division of the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration.