Kurt C. Small Biography

Kurt C. Small serves as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare organizations, serving 3.5 million members across the District of Columbia, Maryland, Northern Virginia and beyond. In this role, Kurt leads the organization’s strategy and operations in support of CareFirst’s mission to advance accessible, affordable, equitable and high-quality healthcare while strengthening the organization’s longstanding commitment to the people and communities it serves.

Kurt is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 25 years of experience leading complex healthcare programs across government, commercial and federal markets. Before joining CareFirst, he spent nearly seven years at Elevance Health, most recently as President of Medicaid, leading one of the nation’s largest Medicaid businesses, with a focus on improving performance, strengthening the member experience and supporting long-term sustainability. His career also includes senior leadership roles at organizations such as Aetna, Highmark, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Kurt holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Yale School of Management. Kurt is a member of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., and currently serves as the Board Chair of the American Heart Association’s Baltimore and Greater Maryland division reflecting his ongoing engagement in advancing leadership, collaboration and positive impact across the healthcare industry and the communities CareFirst serves.