Dive Brief:
- Scott Leitz, CEO of the MNsure health insurance exchange, announced his resignation Monday from the troubled agency as he accepts a new position with a nonprofit research group focusing on healthcare costs.
- Leitz had accepted the position of MNsure CEO in Dec. 2013 during a difficult time, replacing the original CEO amid intense criticism of the agency.
- Issues of technical difficulties and long waits for phone assistance were eased, but not resolved, during Leitz's tenure as CEO.
Dive Insight:
The outgoing CEO suggested to the media that he is leaving at a time of stability for the agency. However, it is also set to undergo significant change following the passage of a bill to turn MNsure into a state department rather than an independent agency.
MNsure announced that Allison O'Toole, the agency's deputy director for external affairs, will replace Leitz on an interim basis. She now becomes the third chief executive in less than two years at MNsure, the Star Tribune notes. While Sen. Michelle Benson called the turnover "a telltale sign of systemic failure in the organization," Gov. Mark Dayton voiced satisfaction with the job Leitz had done.