Covered California vice president Chris Patton will keynote the Business Times’ Champions in Health Care awards luncheon next month. (courtesy photo)

The Pacific Coast Business Times’ celebration of its 2014 Champions in Health Care honorees will include a panel discussion with keynote speaker Chris Patton, vice president of sales and agent management for Covered California’s Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP.

The second-annual Champions in Health Care awards luncheon will be held on Thursday, June 19, at the Belmond El Encanto from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event will center on this year’s theme, “Affordable Care in the Tri-Counties: Strategies for Implementing Health-Care Reform.”

Patton assumed his position in June 2013. His role is contracted through third-party administrator Pinnacle Claims Management, based in Irvine.

Covered California awarded Pinnacle a three-year, $50 million contract to administer the state’s new small-employer insurance program, which had enrolled 1,156 of the state’s small businesses as of March 31, representing about 4,900 employees and their dependents. Patton’s team is staffed statewide and poised to engulf a greater share of California’s 3.4 million small businesses. Enrollment in SHOP is available year-round.

Patton has worked in the state’s insurance industry for 14 years and has experience in both the retail and wholesale distribution of group plans. His interaction with industry leaders has provided a high-level perspective of trends, implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the response in major markets across the country.

The luncheon will accompany the Business Times’ May 23rd Champions in Health Care special report. The Business Times is seeking nominations for awards and panelists in up to eight categories and their experiences in implementing the Affordable Care Act. The nomination deadline is Friday, May 2. Click here for more information or to nominate.

Tickets to the event are $55 each or $400 for a table of 8 and may be purchased by clicking here. For more information, contact Jennifer Carusa at jcarusa@pacbiztimes.com or (805) 845-2697.