Company’s Co-Founder, Joe Caruncho, Hands Over CEO Reins To The Former UnitedHealthcare Florida CEO And Remains Executive Chairman
MIAMI, FL – March 6, 2024 – Genuine Health Group the Miami-based physician enablement platform that helps physicians transition to value-based care, announced the appointment of Roger Rodriguez as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Rodriguez joined Genuine Health Group last September as Senior Advisor to work alongside his former colleague, Joseph L. Caruncho, Sr., who started the company and has served as its CEO since its founding in 2017. Mr. Caruncho will continue to serve as Executive Chairman.
Mr. Rodriguez returned to the healthcare industry to join Genuine Health Group after a distinguished career at UnitedHealthcare, where he served as the most-senior executive in charge of the health insurer’s Medicare and retirement business for Florida and other states in the Southeast.
Since joining Genuine, he has leveraged his industry experience to cultivate new relationships with Medicare Advantage payers and to grow the company’s ACO division that manages care on behalf of patients with traditional, fee-for-service Medicare. He has also been instrumental in expanding the company’s MSO contracts with UnitedHealthcare throughout Florida.
As CEO, Mr. Rodriguez will continue expanding the company’s network of affiliated primary care providers, including in Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. He will likewise seek to carry on Genuine Health Group’s perfect record of delivering savings to CMS’s Advanced Payment Model Programs while delivering top-quality healthcare outcomes for the patients whose care the company manages each year in the programs.
“Roger’s ascension to CEO is a natural next step for the company and a demonstration of our continued investment in exceptional talent,” said Joe Caruncho, executive chairman of Genuine Health Group. “The value-based care sector has seen many companies lose their footing as Medicare has reduced benchmark payments. With Roger at the helm, Genuine enhances its market-leading management to continue to deliver financial results for our physicians and investors while maintaining an unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality medical care for the thousands of patients who trust their health to our doctors.”
During his time as CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare and retirement business for the Southeast, Mr. Rodriguez oversaw 650,000 Medicare Advantage lives and annual revenue of $7 billion. He was also responsible for the seamless integration of two regional health plans into the UnitedHealthcare family, helping make United the largest Medicare Advantage company in the U.S.
“I have spent decades building and expanding physician networks,” reflected Mr. Rodriguez. “Now, as I assume the role of CEO at a company focused on value-based care, I will have the opportunity to continue engaging providers – this time working with doctors who share a vision for healthcare delivery that prioritizes disease prevention, early intervention, and robust management of chronic conditions. I’m grateful for the confidence Joe Caruncho and the entire Genuine team have placed in me to carry on and enhance the company’s innovative approach to value-based care.”
Genuine Health Group was named one of the “Fastest Growing Companies” by the South Florida Business Journal. In 2021, the company announced a $160 million investment from Crestline Investors, which helped fuel the company’s expansion into Texas and South Carolina. In January 2024, Genuine Health Group announced its accountable care organizations (ACOs) saved the Medicare system $32.2 million for the 2022 program year.
For more information on Genuine Health Group, or to schedule an interview with Roger Rodriguez or Joe Caruncho, please contact Meieli Sawyer at 305-668-0070 or msawyer@weinbachgroup.com.
About Genuine Health Group
Genuine Health Group is an analytics-driven healthcare company that assists physicians and health plans in successfully transitioning to value-based payment models.