Andrew Do Resigns From CalOptima Board Following State Probe

Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do speaks on the opening day of a coronavirus vaccination site at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, Calif., on March 31, 2021. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do announced his resignation last week from the board of CalOptima, a public health insurance company for low-income residents in Orange County. He had been its chair since 2020.

His resignation, Feb. 2, comes as the organization is being investigated by the state at the request, last May, of California Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton).

In her request, Quirk-Silva referenced how CalOptima claims to use 96 cents of every dollar they receive from the federal and state government for their patients’ medical care and that their administrative costs are amongst the lowest.

But as reported previously by The Epoch Times, CalOptima executives receive annual salaries ranging from $308,000 to $841,000.

Do said his resignation from the board was due to the election Nov. 8 of Vicente Sarmiento, who now represents the newly-drawn District 2. The district covers Santa Ana and Anaheim where the majority of CalOptima customers reside.

A CalOptima building in Orange, Calif., on July 25, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

After districts were redrawn in 2021, as is customary every 10 years following updates from the U.S. Census, Do’s was reconfigured and he now represents District 1, which includes Cypress, Huntington Beach, and portions of Garden Grove, among other areas.

“I think the right thing to do now is for Supervisor Sarmiento to be on this board and represent his constituents,” he said. “As I leave this board, I’m happy to say ... that we [have left] this place better than we found it.”

CalOptima currently serves around 910,000. Started in the mid 1990s, it serves Orange County’s vulnerable and low-income populations, including the homeless.

Do also briefly confronted, during his last board meeting, the controversy regarding overpaid CalOptima executives as some have accused it of possible misconduct. The state audit is expected to be released in April, according to a CalOptima spokesperson.

“I regret that the great work that we have done has been clouded by political motivation,” he said. “Some people want to create a false narrative. ... That’s probably the only thing that I walk away regretting.”

Last October, CalOptima CEO Michael Hunn received a 50 percent raise plus additional benefits, boosting his $560,000 salary to over $840,000 as previously reported by The Epoch Times.

Hunn was first hired as interim chief executive in Nov. 2021, replacing the retiring Richard Sanchez. The board permanently hired Hunn last March.