Tom Betlach, MPA
Fellow since 2019
Tom joined Speire Healthcare Strategies in 2019 as a partner to advise government and private sector clients on complex health policy and strategic initiatives. He is a nationally recognized thought leader on Medicaid and healthcare policy, known for his expertise in serving complex populations, delivery system transformation, value-based purchasing, managed care, and cost containment. Prior to joining Speire, Tom completed 27 years of state service in Arizona, working for five different Governors in three different cabinet positions. For over nine years Tom served as Director of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s single state Medicaid agency, where he reported directly to the Governor. AHCCCS provided health care coverage to 1.9 million Arizonans at an annual cost of $13 billion.
During his tenure, Arizona was an early innovator in leveraging competitive managed care, contracting strategies to transform the delivery system. Under Tom’s leadership, Arizona successfully pursued a multi-year strategy to integrate behavioral health services, expanded the delivery of services to address social determinants of health, and pursued value-based purchasing strategies. Arizona remains one of the lowest cost long-term care programs nationally and has maintained high levels of home and community-based placement for persons with long term care needs.
As a national leader, Tom served as both Vice President and President of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. He currently serves on the Board for the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and is a member of the Congressional Budget Office Panel of Health Advisers. Tom holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin.