Who: Ron Pollack, 72
Stepping down as: Founding executive director of Families USA, Washington, effective in March 2017. He will continue to serve as chairman emeritus.
Background: Pollack, an attorney, has led Families USA for 33 years. The organization played a key role in passing the Affordable Care Act. He also pushed for establishing the Children's Health Insurance Program in 1997 as well as expanding it in 2009.
Unfinished business: Families USA is working on a number of initiatives, including expanding Medicaid in the 19 states that haven't done so. It's also focused on solving affordability problems, such as rising insurance deductibles. Lack of affordability “stops people from getting care, and it stops people from enrolling in coverage,” he said.
Top accomplishment: Extending healthcare coverage to tens of millions of uninsured people was always a top priority, Pollack said. Throughout the history of Families USA, the group tried to fix the problem. “The Affordable Care Act is the culmination of decades of work,” he said.
What's next: As for his plans, Pollack said, “I intend to move on to what has animated my life and career, which is securing distributive justice,” focusing on economic equity issues.
