by Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector
June 20, 2025

The State Employees Insurance Board has officially selected Stephanie Azar, commissioner of the Alabama Medicaid Agency, to serve as its new CEO.

Azar will replace outgoing CEO William Ashmore to run the board that’s responsible for administering state employees’ health insurance, but the transition period between the two leaders is still being worked out. Ashmore said after the meeting that the negotiations regarding his last day are ongoing, but it would likely be by Aug. 1.

“It’s a complete honor to have been considered and given the opportunity to have been voted in today to be CEO of SEIB, and I am looking forward to doing everything I can have a smooth transition and keeping SEIB strong and following the mission to continue excellent benefits for members,” Azar said after the meeting.

She was appointed as commissioner of the Alabama Medicaid Agency in 2012 by former Gov. Robert Bentley.

Ashmore said that three “very qualified candidates” were selected to interview with the board, and the decision was not easy.

“I was impressed with the fact that you had one of the candidates who was the administrator of the state of Florida plan, who I’ve actually known for 25 plus years, and a very good candidate. You had the one that was selected, (who has) been Medicaid commissioner for quite some time. That’s a very large agency, and she’s proven herself over there. And we had an internal candidate that was ready to also take over on day one,” Ashmore said.

Azar will lead the insurance board at a time when the rise of health care costs is a concern. Bob Childree, a retired employees’ representative on the board, offered his support but also noted concerns about the board’s financial condition.

“I’m very concerned about the financial viability of SEIB,” Childree said.

Ashmore said after the meeting that the plan is financially sound, but for the previous 16 years, the board has not asked the Legislature for a rate raise. Ashmore said that this trend is unsustainable in the long term due to the evolving health care landscape, particularly at the federal level.

“We’ve talked about the Medicare Advantage and doubling of costs. We’ve seen plans that had their costs triple in those areas, and in order to continue to provide those benefits to our beneficiaries, which is our mission to do, we’ve got to have the funds,” Ashmore said.

Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This content presents a straightforward news report on a leadership transition within a state government agency without apparent partisan language or ideological framing. It focuses on the facts surrounding Stephanie Azar’s appointment and the financial challenges facing the insurance board, offering perspectives from multiple stakeholders. The neutral tone and balanced presentation indicate no strong left or right bias, placing the content in the centrist category.