Thomas Carrato is the founder of Carrato and Associates LLC, a consulting firm established in January of 2016, which provides strategic advice to clients with a focus on federal and state health care programs. Most recently, Mr. Carrato served as the Chief Consultant to the Office of the Under Secretary for Health at the Department of Veterans Affairs. In this role he provided advice and support to the Under Secretary for Health and the Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health on operational and policy issues facing the Veterans Health Administration.
Prior to this Mr. Carrato served as President of Health Net Federal Services, where he was responsible for the daily leadership and management of Health Net Federal Services and MHN Government Services. His responsibilities included the management and oversight of Health Net’s Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs lines of business to include DoD’s TRICARE program for the North Region, the worldwide Military Family Life Consultant program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Patient Centered Community Care program and the VA Choice program.
Mr. Carrato has over thirty-five years of experience, success and accomplishments in both the public and private health care sector as senior executive, chief operating officer and clinician. He served as an Assistant Surgeon General of the United States, Regional Health Administrator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Plan Administration, and Group Vice President for a publicly traded government services company. Mr. Carrato joined Health Net Federal Services in March 2006 as Vice President and DoD Program Executive.
Previously, Mr. Carrato served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Plan Administration and Executive Director of the TRICARE Management Activity where he directed and managed worldwide operations and performance of the TRICARE health plan. In an earlier role as the Department of Health and Human Services’ Regional Health Administrator for Region IV, Mr. Carrato was the Department’s principal representative, providing advice and participating in policy development and implementation of key health care initiatives in the southeastern United States. He managed regionally based programs of the Office of Public Health and Science including the Offices of Emergency Preparedness, Minority Health, Women’s Health, and Population Affairs.
Mr. Carrato holds a Master of Science in Accounting from Georgetown University and a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina.
Mr. Carrato retired as a Rear Admiral in the Commissioned Corps of United States Public Health Service. His decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and the Public Health Service Distinguished Service Medal.
