Medicare Agency Official Who Oversaw Healthcare Program Rollout Announces Retirement

Administration officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced on Monday that the second-in-line authority who oversaw the afflicted healthcare rollout has decided to retire.

Chief operating officer of the agency Michelle Snyder, who worked as the manager budget and personnel resources and was the boss of the tech employees who built the federal healthcare exchange HealthCare.gov, decided to step down from her position, the New York Times reported.

Administrator of the Medicare agency Marilyn B. Tavenner said that Snyder chose to retire "after 41 years of outstanding public service."

"While we celebrate her distinguished career, we are also sadly saying farewell to a good friend and key member of the agency's leadership team," Tavenner wrote in an email sent to employees of the agency. "Michelle's intelligence, experience and formidable work ethic have been indispensable to me and to many of you during her tenure."

Tim Love, Snyder's deputy, will serve as interim chief operating officer in the retired employee's stead.

Snyder's official job description posted on her biography said she was in charge of "standing up new programs and activities required by the Affordable Care Act."

Following the troubled rollout of the universal healthcare plan, secretary of health and human services Kathleen Sebelius was asked to point out the person who should be held accountable for the site's development. She named Snyder, the Times reported.

But shortly thereafter, she said, "Michelle Snyder is not responsible for those debacles. Hold me accountable for the debacle. I'm responsible."

An unidentified former employee at the agency told the Times Snyder was bound to retire.

"She had to go," the official stated. "She was responsible for the implementation of Obamacare. She controlled all the resources to get it done. She was in charge of information technology. She controlled personnel and budget."