Thomas J. Grote

As founding chief executive officer of BannerlAetna, Tom Grote a collaborative mindset and innovative spirit to the joint venture health insurance company, which is now the fastest growing health plan in Arizona. Grote’s ability to bring people together to work toward a common goal has helped seamlessly bridge the two companies under a highly effective payvider model, ensuring both entities benefit from these efforts and share accountability for quality and health care costs.

As one of the earliest joint venture health plans in the country, Banner|Aetna has successfully aligned payer and provider incentives to drive down costs, improve quality and enhance the member experience. Under Grote’s leadership, the Banner|Aetna performance network has achieved savings of approximately 15%. The plan has also implemented innovative solutions for diabetes care and virtual care and initiatives like “frictionless billing”, which streamlines the health care billing and payment process for plan members.

Grote possesses more than three decades of experience in the health insurance industry. Immediately prior to his role as Banner|Aetna CEO, he managed Aetna’s operations in Arizona and New Mexico, and oversaw the west territory markets. His career at Aetna also included various sales and profit and loss management roles. His distinguished career includes the achievement of several important industry milestones, including helping Aetna launch their first joint venture in the Northern Virginia market. Thanks to the deep expertise gained through these efforts, Grote has secured his position as a thought leader in the industry and he is regularly invited to speak at national industry events and featured in some of health care’s most influential publications.

Grote graduated from the University of Notre Dame. He lives in Arizona with his wife and is actively involved in a variety of local charities and community organizations including the American Heart Association’s AZ chapter.