Ventura County’s Gold Coast Health Plan has announced the replacement of CEO Nick Liguori, effective immediately. Liguori, who had served in the role since February 2022 after joining as chief operating officer in September 2021, was not offered a contract renewal following a unanimous decision by the Ventura County Medi-Cal Managed Care Commission.
The commission, which oversees Medi-Cal insurance for nearly 250,000 low-income residents in the county, convened a closed-door meeting on Monday to discuss Liguori’s contract. The decision was revealed in a special meeting held on Wednesday, according to Gold Coast spokesperson Susana Enriquez-Euyoque. Dr. Felix Nuñez, the plan’s chief medical officer, has been appointed as interim CEO during the search for a permanent replacement.
Commission chair Laura Espinosa indicated that the goal is to appoint a new permanent CEO within six months, though the timeline may extend. She emphasized that the decision to move on from Liguori was not disciplinary, stating, “It was not for cause. We just wanted to go in a different direction.” Espinosa highlighted ongoing transformations within the plan, including a new billing structure and a shift to a Gold Coast-operated call center, as well as plans to serve Medicare members alongside Medi-Cal recipients.
Liguori, who previously held over 20 years of experience in Medicare and Medicaid management, earned an annual salary of $415,000. Nuñez, a family physician with nearly three decades in managed care, joined Gold Coast in 2022 and became chief medical officer the following year. His salary remains unchanged at $410,856 as he takes on his new interim leadership role.
“Our primary goal is to ensure that GCHP continues to operate smoothly during this transition and that our members continue to receive the exceptional care they deserve,” Nuñez stated in a news release.
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