At 34 years old, Mr. Desai is the youngest CEO in Aetna’s Medicaid division. He is responsible for overseeing Aetna Better Health of Illinois, which serves 400,000 Medicaid members. Mr. Desai leads business strategy, operations and growth, emphasizing health equity and access to care through digital solutions like telehealth and telepsychiatry for minority groups. In 2022, he launched initiatives targeting food insecurity and substance abuse and helped increase access to affordable housing and workforce development through CVS Health programs. Under his leadership, the organization received health equity accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance in 2023, becoming the only managed care organization in Illinois to achieve this. He also introduced an AI-driven chatbot for Aetna members, earning a Bronze Stevie Award for its user-friendly design. Before joining CVS Health in 2020, Mr. Desai held leadership roles at IlliniCare Health and Trexin Consulting, focusing on improving patient outcomes and provider engagement.
