Director-New Business Sales - Market
About the job
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Healthcare Administration, or related field required.
- Minimum of eight (8) years of progressive experience in sales, business development, or sales leadership, preferably within healthcare or insurance.
- If an employee is selling/negotiating a price as part of the duties and responsibilities of this job, the following licenses are required within 90 days of the employee's start date or 90 days from license expiration date. 1. Valid Michigan Accident and Health Insurance License. 2. Valid and unrestricted driver's license is required.
- Demonstrated success in leading new business acquisition strategy and managing complex, competitive sales cycles that drive significant membership and revenue growth.
- Strong understanding of healthcare products, market dynamics, distribution channels, and the competitive landscape, with the ability to translate market insights into actionable sales strategies.
- Proven leadership capabilities, including team development, performance management, and establishing a high-performance culture aligned with growth objectives.
- Strong financial acumen, including experience with P&L management, pricing strategy, forecasting, and evaluating the financial impact of sales decisions.
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and executive-level influence skills, with the ability to engage senior internal and external stakeholders and drive alignment across complex sales pursuits.
- Develop and execute short- and long-range sales strategies to drive net new membership and revenue growth across BCBSM and BCN product lines.
- Establish segment-specific growth strategies, define target markets and priority accounts, and position the organization competitively to expand market share across assigned segments.
- Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities, and adjust strategies to optimize growth outcomes.
- Own pipeline health, forecasting accuracy, and overall new business performance.
- Drive disciplined prospecting, opportunity prioritization, and pipeline management to maintain a robust pipeline aligned with growth targets.
- Lead complex, high-value sales pursuits and finalist presentations, ensuring consistent execution of structured sales processes to improve conversion rates and sales outcomes.
- Manage performance outcomes by monitoring and evaluating key metrics such as revenue attainment, pipeline value, win rates, and profitability, using data and analytics to inform decision making and drive continuous improvement.
- Provide strategic direction for requests for proposal responses, finalist presentations, pricing strategy, negotiation, and complex deal execution.
- Lead high-value and strategically significant sales pursuits, aligning proposed solutions with client needs, market dynamics, and enterprise financial objectives to improve conversion and growth outcomes.
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with brokers, consultants, and key market influencers to strengthen market visibility, improve access to opportunities, and enhance competitive positioning.
- Serve as a senior sales leader in external market engagement, influencing pursuit strategy and supporting enterprise growth objectives.
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of sales professionals focused on new business acquisition. Establishes a high-performance culture centered on accountability, urgency, and results.
- Oversee performance management, talent development, and capability building to achieve growth targets.
- Manage financial performance, including P&L for assigned cost centers, and evaluate key indicators such as revenue attainment, pipeline value, win rates, and profitability.
- Utilize data and analytics to inform decisions, strengthen forecasting discipline, and drive continuous improvement in growth and financial outcomes.
- Monitor and evaluate key performance indicators such as revenue, pipeline value, win rates, and profitability.
- Utilize data and analytics to inform decisions and drive continuous performance improvement.
About the company
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is a nonprofit mutual insurer that administers health benefits for more than 4.3 million members in Michigan and nationwide. It offers group health plans for businesses of various sizes, including a private exchange that lets employers provide a selection of benefits, along with life and disability insurance. Benefits are delivered through employer-sponsored plans and a network-based coverage model, with plans tailored to organizations and employees. The goal is to keep health costs affordable and predictable while providing broad access to coverage and employee benefit options.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Detroit, Michigan
Founded
1938
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- June 26, 2026 small-business playbook adds six plans and eleven-county PCP Focus expansion.
- April 21 and July 28, 2026 office consolidations cut overhead and improve facility utilization.
- September 4, 2026 employer toolkits signal active retention support across enrollment, behavioral health, and well-being.
What critics are saying
- BCBSM seeks 12.9% individual and 7% small-group 2027 hikes on September 2026 filings.
- Michigan Medicine dispute threatens 300,000 patients and in-network access after June 30, 2026.
- Wesco's 2025 'phantom tax' antitrust suit attacks stop-loss fees and triples-damages exposure.
What makes Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan unique
- Nonprofit Michigan mutual BCBSM serves 4.3 million members across all 50 states.
- 2026 playbooks bundle PPO, HMO, POS, HSA, and employer toolkit distribution.
- Blue Cross Well-Being and expanded PCP Focus network give employers integrated benefits management.
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Benefits
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Company News
'We were blindsided': Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan responds to AG complaint. A spokesperson for the company says they 'fundamentally disagree' with the AG's claim of an 'uncompetitive insurance market' in the state. A landmark antitrust lawsuit filed this week by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has "blindsided" the health insurance provider, a spokesperson for the company told Local 4. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan on behalf of the state of Michigan and its residents, accuses BCBSM of operating an illegal monopoly and conspiring with other insurance companies in its network to fix prices, inflating premiums and out-of-pocket costs for Michigan consumers. "Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has not yet been served and therefore we cannot comment on the specific merits of the case," the spokesperson wrote Thursday, adding that they "fundamentally disagree with the Attorney General's characterization of an uncompetitive insurance market in Michigan." Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan controls approximately 65% of all health insurance products and 79% of the PPO market in the state, according to the complaint. Nessel says the company's dominance has driven competing insurers out of the market, increasing costs and limiting provider options for consumers. "We brought this lawsuit for the millions of Michigan households, patients, parents, providers, doctors, small business owners, large employers and taxpayers, and consumers everywhere that are paying the price for Blue Cross's unchecked market power," Nessel said in a news release Thursday, calling the complaint "a significant step" toward ending the company's "illegal monopoly." Blue Cross disagrees with Nessel's characterization of its business practices. "Competition exists everywhere in our state's insurance markets, with strong local and national insurers competing with us every day," the Blue Cross statement said. " For nearly 90 years, Blue Cross has provided coverage for citizens across Michigan, in every county, without exception. This heritage, and the quality of products and services we provide, is foundational to our success in Michigan." The complaint is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars and a court order to stop the alleged practices.
Daily health news issue # 620 for 10/9/2026. Editor Notes (see table further below for links and summaries): * Biohacker Bryan Johnson is spending more than $2 million annually on AI-driven health monitoring and longevity interventions, hoping to extend human lifespan and make health rather than wealth the ultimate status symbol. * Michigan has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, alleging the insurer used its market dominance and agreements with other Blue plans to limit competition, suppress provider payments, and drive up healthcare costs without lowering premiums. * The Blue denies this. * RFK is investigating vaccine-related injuries raising concerns among experts about scientific rigor and the potential impact on vaccine confidence amid rising measles cases. * Meanwhile, new CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz aims to replace the agency's "paternalistic" culture with greater transparency and public engagement while navigating contentious vaccine policies, staffing cuts, measles outbreaks, and emerging infectious disease threats. * The PBS Newshour piece talks about emerging research that suggests GLP-1 medications may help reduce drug and alcohol cravings, offering a potential new treatment option for substance use disorders. See its "top articles" list below. For a synoposis of all 50 articles curated today, see further below, and to see each of these articles listed with short summary just click here. Audio/Video. "A sickness known as hate; not a virus, not a microbe, not a germ, but a sickness nonetheless, highly contagious, deadly in its effects."... - Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone episode "I Am the Night - Color Me Black," 1964 | Article_Title | Article_Takeaway | | Kennedy Plans Federal Vaccine Injury Initiative, Drawing Wary Eye From Experts | Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is launching a new federal initiative to research vaccine injuries, sparking concern among experts regarding the scientific rigor of the effort. | | New CDC Director Is Eager to Change Its Culture | New CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz aims to eliminate paternalism at the agency, emphasizing better communication and transparency with the American public regarding health recommendations. | | What Experts Want to Know About the Russia Plague Scare | Scientists are calling for transparency from Russian health officials after the death of a laboratory worker in Siberia sparked fears of a potential plague outbreak. | | The Axios Show: Inside Bryan Johnson's quest to make 300 the new 70 | Biohacker Bryan Johnson, founder of the "Don't Die" movement, aims to shift societal focus from wealth to longevity through extreme data-driven health interventions. | | The evidence suggesting GLP-1s can curb drug and alcohol cravings | Researchers are studying whether GLP-1 medications, used for diabetes and weight loss, can effectively curb substance use disorder cravings, potentially offering a new tool to fight the national addiction crisis. | | UnitedHealthcare mistakenly tells members that 8 clinicians died | UnitedHealthcare sent erroneous letters to members incorrectly stating that eight physicians had died, leading to a prompt correction and an update in internal processes. | | Michigan Files Antitrust Suit Against Blue Cross Blue Shield Over Rising Costs | Michigan's attorney general has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, alleging the insurer used its dominant market position to illegally drive up health insurance costs. | Today's graphic. Healthcare-Billionaire-Class (Source: -Forbes-September-2026). See below or click here Today's digest. Here is a summary of all 50 articles curated today into the Competitive Research Analytics Platform for 10/9/2026: Here is a summary of all the articles curated into the Competitive Research Analytics Platform for October 9, 2026: Millennial physicians are navigating a paradoxical financial landscape where record earnings are overshadowed by substantial student debt and limited private practice ownership opportunities compared to prior generations, creating long-term financial strain despite higher nominal compensation. Meanwhile, behavioral health is undergoing transformation, with Beacon Behavioral Partners leveraging platform scale to expand access to interventional psychiatry treatments including emerging therapies like psilocybin and TMS through operational and clinical support infrastructure. The medical device and healthcare sectors face significant regulatory and operational challenges. Becton Dickinson's $19 billion U.S. manufacturing commitment signals industry adaptation to tariff pressures, while CMS is intensifying price transparency enforcement across hospitals and insurers. Data security remains critical, as demonstrated by OU Health's patient breach involving unauthorized employee access and Advantest's ransomware attack compromising personally identifiable information. Utah's health AI sandbox is testing autonomous prescription pilots that may eventually conflict with FDA regulations, highlighting tension between innovation and oversight. Regulatory approvals and clinical advances are expanding treatment options. Novartis's Rhapsido received FDA approval as the first symptomatic dermographism treatment for inadequately controlled cases. Clinical trial extensions are proving essential for assessing long-term safety and durability, while chatbot interventions demonstrate efficacy in improving cancer risk knowledge among adolescents with hereditary predisposition. Emerging research suggests GLP-1 medications may address substance use disorder cravings, offering potential therapeutic applications beyond diabetes and weight management. Public health governance is experiencing significant transitions. New CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz is emphasizing transparency and communication, while Senator Patty Murray organizes efforts to protect the CDC from political interference. The Russia plague incident underscores the importance of laboratory biosafety and international transparency. Concurrently, health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is launching a federal vaccine injury initiative, raising expert concerns about scientific rigor. Healthcare innovation is accelerating across multiple domains. WhiteLab Genomics raised $26 million for AI-designed genomic medicines, while healthcare AI investments are delivering 3.5x ROI within 12 months. Teladoc Health enhanced its virtual platform with ambient AI documentation and contactless vitals, and Relay Network partnered with Claritas Rx for specialty patient engagement. Clairity is disrupting traditional pathways by offering direct-to-consumer breast cancer risk assessments via AI for $249, though this raises questions about clinical validation and equity. Financial and operational challenges persist across the sector. Colorado is terminating its agreement with Freedom Care following fraud allegations and a $21 million annual spending spike. Kaiser Permanente agreed to repay potentially tens of millions in mistakenly withheld nurse wages. CMS is proposing a new contractor model emphasizing proactive fraud detection over reactive recovery, while penalizing 2,334 hospitals for high readmissions using combined Medicare Advantage and fee-for-service data. Market consolidation and competitive concerns continue emerging. Michigan filed an antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield alleging anticompetitive market division and cost inflation. UnitedHealthcare's erroneous death notifications and the prevalence of non-Epic EHR systems among large health systems reflect ongoing operational complexities. Meanwhile, ACA Marketplace enrollment declined 12% following expiration of enhanced tax credits, with steepest declines in Republican-held districts. Patient-centered initiatives and emerging technologies offer promising solutions. Cigna launched Health Sense to personalize engagement for chronic condition management, while rural communities leverage peer support and community paramedicine for behavioral health access. Los Angeles County is implementing presumptive eligibility screening to reduce medical debt. Deloitte identified a $527 billion opportunity in women's health through earlier detection and prevention. Voice-first technology and biological aging assessments represent innovative approaches to accessibility and personalized health understanding, though questions about psychological impact and equity persist across these emerging tools. As of today, C.R.A.P. now has 238 subscribers. Want to drop FHIR-Engine a line? E-Mail Us
AG sues Blue Cross, alleges anti-competitive practices increased costs. (Source: MIRS.news, Published 10/08/2026) Attorney General Dana Nessel today filed a lawsuit alleging Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) created an illegal monopoly and used its dominance to charge employers more and pay health care providers less. Caught in the crosshairs are families like that of Andrew Bashi, a Detroit attorney who shared his family's fear that a contract negotiation between the health insurance giant and Michigan Medicine would result in no care for their son's rare heart condition, leading to multiple surgeries before the infant's first birthday. "We were a contract dispute away from insurmountable debt," said Bashi. "In the end, the two sides reached a deal. We were lucky, but luck is not a health care system." In her press conference, Nessel announced the federal antitrust lawsuit, which alleges Blue Cross, who has 4.5 million Michigan customers, used its dominant position to suppress competition in selling health insurance administration to large employers, including the state, as well as purchasing health care services. Nessel said when the state tried to negotiate its own health care coverage, Blue Cross refused to allow competition, leading to the state lacking the leverage to negotiate better rates. In a statement, Blue Cross said it was "blindsided" by Nessel's lawsuit, which has not yet been served on the company. "We fundamentally disagree with the Attorney General's characterization of an uncompetitive insurance market in Michigan," Blue Cross' statement reads. "Competition exists everywhere in its state's insurance markets, with strong local and national insurers competing with Michigan Information & Research Service Inc. every day. "For nearly 90 years, Blue Cross has provided coverage for citizens across Michigan, in every county, without exception. This heritage, and the quality of products and services we provide, is foundational to our success in Michigan," the statement noted. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, alleged that dominance gives Blue Cross what economists call monopsony power - the ability of a dominant buyer to control prices paid to sellers. Nessel said that power has allowed BCBSM to work with other Blue Cross companies to reduce competition since the early 1980s and to suppress payments to providers, contributing to staff reductions, service cuts and facility closures. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's father, the late Richard WHITMER, served as general counsel for BCBSM from 1977 to 1987, when he was named president and CEO. Nessel said she didn't speak to the Governor about the lawsuit, as the Governor is her client, not her boss. Nessel said Blue Cross controls about 65% of Michigan's health insurance market and 79% of the state's PPO market. Its power, she said, is illustrative in the contract dispute between BCBSM and Michigan Medicine, during which Blue Cross proposed an "unsustainable 30% reduction in reimbursement rates," disrupting nearly 300,000 patients scrambling to find new health care providers. Nessel said the insurance giant's power is also shown in the state's experience trying to insure an estimated 50,000 employees. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Comish said Blue Cross is a third-party administrator for the state's self-funded plans, in which the cost of employees' care is paid from state coffers and not from premiums. BCBSM is the only insurance company in the state that is large enough to handle the size of the state's account because it has restricted competition, Comish noted. "With the size of the state workforce, that adds up to a real drain on the state's resources," he added. The suit alleges violations of Michigan's antitrust laws and includes claims of public nuisance and unjust enrichment. The suit seeks an injunction barring the alleged anticompetitive practices as well as damages, disgorgement of profits and civil monetary penalties. Nessel said state law allows penalties of up to $50,000 per violation, which could amount to "hundreds of millions of dollars." During the press conference, Nessel acknowledged that her term ends Jan. 1, and she said she hopes her successor continues the lawsuit. "I've heard both individuals that are running to succeed me... talk about caring about consumer protection and talk about affordability-related issues," she said. "And if they mean it, then they're going to want this lawsuit to succeed, and they're going to make sure that this moves forward, and that they pursue it as aggressively as possible." Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, a Democrat, and Republican Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd are running to replace Nessel. Christy McGillivray, Michiganders for Money Out of Politics Steering Committee, today praised Nessel's announcement, saying, "No corporation should be too powerful to evade accountability."
Health care down as Michigan files suit against insurer - health care roundup. Published on 10/08/2026 at 05:43 pm EDT Health-care companies fell amid fears that health insurers would remain in regulatory crosshairs during the election season. Michigan's attorney general filed an antitrust suit against the state's largest health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, citing monopolistic pricing practices. Among publicly traded health insurers, Humana and UnitedHealth Group lost ground. Write to Rob Curran at [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires 10-08-26 1743ET (C) Dow Jones - 2026
Nessel files federal antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Attorney General alleges Blue Cross agreements have stifled competition in Michigan's health insurance market. Posted Thu, Oct 8, 2026 at 4:16 pm ET October 8, 2026 Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed an antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Mutual Insurance Company Thursday, alleging that the company has violated both state and federal law through agreements with other Blue Cross Blue Shield entities to "eliminate competition for health insurance services to large employers like the State." What The Average Michigan Earner Actually Makes In 2026 Dylan Siwicki The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that the actions of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan have caused two types of harm in Michigan. First, the suit alleges a conspiracy among Blue Cross Blue Shield entities to "allocate customers and territories, to restrict output, and to eliminate competition for health insurance services," which the lawsuit says prevents competition for the contract for state employee medical insurance plans, which the lawsuit says "has allowed Blue Cross to overcharge the State for administering the State employee plans for years." Find out what's happening in Across Michiganfor free with the latest updates from Patch. Insurance prices for non-state employees insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan have also increased - in 2026, Blue Cross filed 23.3% to 24% annual increases for individual plan members, and 11.2% increases for small group markets, according to the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Second, the lawsuit claims that due to the company's dominant market position in the state, it pays healthcare providers lower rates compared to national rates, at times "well below the providers' cost to provide necessary care," at which point, the suit says, "Unable to obtain appropriate, market payments from Blue Cross, Michigan providers have been forced to reduce services, cut staff, close facilities, or exit the Michigan market entirely." Blue Cross controls 65% of all health insurance products and 79% of the PPO market, according to an American Medical Association report cited by the state's lawyers, making it one of the least competitive markets in the nation. "Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has implemented substantial premium increases and deep reimbursement cuts, unchecked by meaningful competition, to drive up our costs of care, drive down our quality of care, and turn our worsening medical outcomes into their increasing profits," Nessel said. "Today we're taking a significant step toward ending the Blue Conspiracy and their illegal monopoly." Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan said in a statement that it was "blindsided" by the announcement from Nessel, and that as it has not yet been served with the lawsuit, it could not comment on the specifics of the case. "We fundamentally disagree with the Attorney General's characterization of an uncompetitive insurance market in Michigan. Competition exists everywhere in our state's insurance markets, with strong local and national insurers competing with us every day," Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's statement continued. "For nearly 90 years, Blue Cross has provided coverage for citizens across Michigan, in every county, without exception. This heritage, and the quality of products and services we provide, is foundational to our success in Michigan." The lawsuit requests a jury trial in the case, and asks the court to "permanently enjoin BCBSM from continuing their anticompetitive conduct in Michigan's healthcare markets, and award the State all available damages, disgorgement, and civil monetary penalties." Representatives from the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics ballot measure campaign celebrated Nessel for the lawsuit. "No corporation should be too powerful to evade accountability. We applaud Attorney General Nessel for making Blue Cross Blue Shield answer for their illegal monopoly that has taken money out of Michiganders' wallets time and again, while reducing their access to quality affordable healthcare at the same time," Christy McGillivray, a member of the group's steering committee, said in a statement. The Michigan Advance, a hard-hitting, nonprofit news site, covers politics and policy across the state of Michigan through in-depth stories, blog posts, and social media updates, as well as top-notch progressive commentary. The Advance is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.