Nov. 11—New Mexico's health insurance exchange has a new CEO after more than seven months of searching.

Bruce Gilbert, who most recently served as the executive director of the Nevada Health Exchange for two years, was unanimously approved by beWellnm's board of directors on Thursday. Gilbert starts in his role as CEO with beWellnm on Monday.

"His experience managing health insurance exchanges and working with public school systems makes him the ideal candidate to lead beWellnm as our goal is to provide affordable health care to all New Mexicans," beWellnm Board Chairman David Shaw said in a statement.

Gilbert replaces Heather Korbulic, who served as interim CEO since June.

Korbulic — who works with GetInsured, a provider of health exchange technology — was contracted to take the lead for beWellnm after former CEO Jeffery Bustamante stepped down in March. Bustamante had served as CEO since 2019.

Gilbert marks the seventh CEO — either in a full-time or interim role — to lead the state's health exchange since its inception in 2013.

Gilbert has also worked as the executive director/benefits administrator for the State of Ohio and, most recently, served as the global benefits director for remote.com — a technology startup focused on the "development, implementation, and management of benefit programs globally," according to beWellnm.

The news of Gilbert's appointment comes as beWellnm just began its open enrollment period for plan year 2023. Open enrollment goes through mid-January of next year.