Joel Ario is a health policy expert and insurance regulator known primarily for his role in helping shape implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces. Mr. Ario was the first director of the Office of Health Insurance Exchanges at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, where he led efforts to establish the regulatory framework for the ACA Exchanges, now known as Marketplaces.
Prior to his federal service, Mr. Ario was the Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner from 2007 to 2010 and the Oregon Insurance Commissioner from 2000 to 2007. Mr. Ario served on the executive committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for a decade and was elected three times to serve as an NAIC officer.
From 2012 to 2025, Mr. Ario was a Managing Director at Manatt Health, where he provided strategic consulting and policy analysis in his work with federal agencies, state governments, leading foundations, hospitals and physicians, health plans, and others with a stake in understanding and navigating the fast-changing health reform landscape at the state and federal level.
Mr. Ario received his B.A. from St. Olaf College, M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School, and J.D. from Harvard Law School.