White House health care adviser to leave his post


White House coordinator for health reform Chris Jennings resigned after six months, citing personal reasons and family considerations.  

The Washington Post: Chris Jennings, White House Adviser On Health Care, Steps Down
Chris Jennings, the White House’s coordinator of health reform, has resigned six months after he was recruited to try to iron out the implementation of major aspects of the Affordable Care Act. Jennings said in an interview Thursday that he decided to leave after he landed in the hospital last month with a health scare after working the long, intense hours typical of senior White House aides (Goldstein and Eilperin, 1/23).

The Wall Street Journal‘s Washington Wire: Chris Jennings Leaves White House Health Post
Mr. Jennings, a Clinton administration veteran who had been running his own health-policy consulting business, was tapped by the Obama administration in the summer to help with the rollout of the federal health law. He joined a team that had been headed by Jeanne Lambrew, a former public affairs and health policy professor (Radnofsky, 1/23).

Politico: Obama Health Care Adviser Chris Jennings Resigns
A senior health care adviser to President Barack Obama is departing the White House for personal reasons, an administration official said Thursday. Chris Jennings, a respected policy expert who also worked in the Clinton administration, has resigned “due to a recent health care scare and other serious family considerations,” the official said. The White House brought Jennings on board in July as part of a staff ramp-up ahead of the Oct. 1 rollout of HealthCare.gov, citing his deep understanding of the health policy, his knowledge of Capitol Hill and his ability to work across party lines. He served as a point of contact to the insurance industry (Brown, 1/23).