Bertha Coombs: From Havana to Boston to 23 Years at CNBC

For more than two decades, when a health insurer reported earnings or Washington moved on drug prices, CNBC viewers often heard about it from Bertha Coombs. She spent 23 years at the network, most recently as its senior health care reporter, and retired in December 2025. Her career also included stops at ABC News, CNNfn, and the early streaming business network Yahoo Finance Vision, and her roots go back to Havana.

Born in Havana, Raised in Boston

Coombs was born in Havana, Cuba, according to her speaker bio, and her family emigrated to Boston when she was a child. Wikipedia lists her birth date as December 28, 1961. She speaks Spanish (her speaker bio calls it mostly fluent) and also lists French, and she describes herself on social media as “Cubana,” a Red Sox fan, and a hiker.

Coombs earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University, class of 1984. She was the graduation speaker at Milton Academy in 2005. After college, she started in local news as a Leo Beranek Fellow at WCVB-TV in her hometown of Boston, a postgraduate reporting fellowship.

From ABC News to Early Streaming Business TV

Before CNBC, Coombs worked for ABC News as a reporter and news anchor, including a role with ABC News One and as a substitute anchor on “World News Now” and “World News This Morning.” Her coverage there included the Clinton impeachment, the Kosovo War, Hurricane Floyd, the troubled marriage of New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr.

She then moved into financial journalism, freelancing for CNNfn and becoming a reporter and anchor at Yahoo Finance Vision, one of the earliest online business video networks.

23 Years at CNBC

Coombs joined CNBC in 2002 and was based at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square. Her early work covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the 2008 financial crisis, and oil markets from the trading floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange. She also reported general market news from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and covered the tech sector from the Nasdaq.

Over time, health care became her signature beat. She reported on the rollout of the Affordable Care Act and the failed launch of the federal insurance exchanges, how doctors were using Watson and mobile technology, the growth of telehealth and AI, efforts to disrupt pharmacy models and lower drug costs, and the start of Medicare drug price negotiations. She focused on health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and pharmacies, and conducted one-on-one interviews with leaders including former UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty, Cigna’s David Cordani, Centene’s Sarah London, Oscar Health’s Marc Bertolini, Eli Lilly’s David Ricks, and Cost Plus founder Mark Cuban, along with CVS Health’s current and former CEOs.

Her final months included coverage of Pfizer and Novo Nordisk’s bidding war for obesity drug developer Metsera, Novo Nordisk’s talks with the Trump administration over drug pricing, and a report that Medicare’s 2027 drug prices under the Inflation Reduction Act would carry an average net discount of 36%.

Retirement and What She’s Doing Now

Talking Biz News reported her retirement on December 19, 2025, the same day CNBC aired a segment on “Squawk on the Street” looking back at her 23-year run. Since leaving CNBC, she serves on the National Leadership Advisory Board of the National Hispanic Health Research Institute, a new organization aiming to connect researchers and communities and expand health research for Hispanic and other underserved groups, including those in rural areas. A speaker bio says she’ll emcee and moderate the institute’s inaugural health conference this fall. She also appears as a moderator and speaker at events such as Aspen Ideas: Health, with sessions in 2024 and 2025 on health communication and the wellness industry. She has also served on the board of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Age and Personal Life

Coombs was born December 28, 1961, which makes her 64 as of October 2026, turning 65 at year’s end. I found no reliable information about a spouse or children, so none is included. Her social profiles show a #healthcarenerd who follows the Red Sox, hikes, and still comments on health policy, including the Affordable Care Act and National Institutes of Health funding.

Net Worth and Salary

Coombs has not publicly disclosed her net worth or salary, and CNBC does not publish reporter compensation. One aggregator site estimates her annual salary at $45,000 to $250,000, but it cites no source and the range is too wide to be informative. No reliable source gives a net worth figure. Treat any specific number attributed to her as an unverified estimate rather than a reported fact.

Quick Facts

FAQ

Is Bertha Coombs still at CNBC? No. She retired in December 2025 after 23 years at the network.

How old is Bertha Coombs? She was born December 28, 1961, so she’s 64 as of October 2026.

Where was Bertha Coombs born? In Havana, Cuba, according to her speaker bio. Her family emigrated to Boston when she was a child.

What did Bertha Coombs cover at CNBC? Health care services, including insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, drug pricing, and the Affordable Care Act, along with market and business news from the Nasdaq MarketSite and the NYSE floor.

What is Bertha Coombs doing now? She serves on the advisory board of the National Hispanic Health Research Institute and works as a speaker and moderator.

A Beat She Helped Define

Bertha Coombs spent more than two decades turning dense health policy and corporate earnings into stories for a business audience, from the launch of the ACA exchanges to Medicare drug price negotiations. Her retirement from CNBC closed a 23-year chapter, but her move to health-equity advocacy and event moderating suggests she isn’t done covering the subject.