Previously, as the Chief Medicare Officer, Executive Director, and General Manager of Medicare for a four-state region at Aetna CVS Health, he positively impacted quality, sales, profitability, market share, and membership across Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial programs. He also raised Risk Adjustment Factors (RAF) and improved plan affordability. His prior career spans executive and other leadership roles at United Healthcare, where he tripled the P&L, and Cherokee Nation Healthcare Services, where he improved the market position by securing healthcare transformation business with federal, military, and commercial business partners. He also held roles of increasing responsibility at Cigna / HealthSpring / Bravo Health. He gained a CMS 5-star rating, directed teams new health plan start-ups, company acquisitions, spin-offs, market expansions and grew market contract footprints to 44%.

 

Mr. Cardenas’ background in healthcare services includes administering business and operations at the Family Medicine Clinic in Lampasas, TX and CFG Healthcare Management Group in San Antonio. That experience was supported by his time in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and United States Air Force, as an Executive Officer and Healthcare Administrator (Lieutenant Colonel).

 

He holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Incarnate Word and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Healthcare Administration from Southwest Texas State University. He is a founding charter member of the Air Force Medical Service Corp Association. He enjoys volunteering as a community mentor for young Medical Service Corp Officers and high school students and as a caregiver mentor and volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association.