Someone You Should Know

Meet Stephen Harris, President, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL)

Stephen Harris is president of BCBSIL, responsible for the long-term growth and financial stability of the business, strategic planning, and ensuring affordable, accessible, and quality health care for more than 8.8 million members.

Stephen is known for his expertise in business development and performance improvements for top health care organizations. His team oversees sales for group and individual members, provider relations and network contracting, care management, regulatory, and community investments.

Decades of leadership

He has been in leadership roles for more than two decades, working to improve the value of each dollar spent by members on health care and making the health care system easier to use. Stephen is focused on improving health equity in every Illinois community and building alliances that directly improve the member experience.

Prior to his current role, Stephen led the Medicaid line of business, where he oversaw growth, operations and financial performance for more than 1 million Blue Cross and Blue Shield members in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Before that, he served as Molina Healthcare’s regional vice president for Health Plan Operations.

By the numbers

Stephen is a certified public accountant. He earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and a BA from Michigan State University. Originally from Detroit, Stephen lives in Glenview with his wife and three children. He is a devout sports fan and, when not working, is supporting his children at soccer and basketball games, or following his favorite teams.

“There’s nothing more important we can do for our communities than to ensure every one of our members has access to quality health care that they can afford and that will give them long, happy and productive lives.”