CIO Working on Obamacare Website Steps Down

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Other CMS management staffers are moving around too.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services—the Health and Human Services agency responsible for the implementation of the federal Obamacare exchange—is shaking up its management.

CMS's chief information officer, Tony Trenkle, will move to the private sector effective Nov. 15, according to an email sent to agency employees. Trenkle oversaw all of the IT functions at CMS.

Henry Chao, the CMS point of contact for the HealthCare.gov contractors, worked under Trenkle. He continues to work with the contractors on repairs to the insurance exchange site.

During a daily press briefing about the progress being made on HealthCare.gov repairs, CMS spokeswoman Julie Bataille skirted reporters' questions about whether Trenkle was asked to step down.

"Tony made a decision to take a job in the private sector, and that is what our COO announced yesterday," Bataille said.

Dave Nelson assumed the role of Acting CIO. He formerly served as the Director of the Office of Enterprise Management at CMS. Here is the email about the CMS staff changes sent by Chief Operating Officer Michelle Snyder: