AARP strategist moves on to health care coalition

After 27 years at AARP, John Rother will move on to head up the National Coalition on Health Care. He says his new position will give him a platform to take on health care costs, as issue he views as central to the nation.

Roll Call: AARP Strategist Replaces Ralph Neas At Health Care Coalition
The shake-up continued in the Washington, D.C., health care advocacy world Thursday as the National Coalition on Health Care announced that veteran AARP strategist John Rother will replace Ralph G. Neas as the NCHC's president and CEO. Neas announced Wednesday his new post as president and CEO of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association. Rother has logged more than 27 years at AARP, most recently as executive vice president of policy. He helped usher the seniors group through close to three decades of growth, transition and hard-fought policy battles, including last year's health care overhaul (Newlin Carney, 9/8).

CQ HealthBeat: John Rother Makes A Leap From AARP To Health Care Coalition
Longtime AARP leader John Rother announced Thursday that he's leaving the seniors advocacy organization to head up the National Coalition on Health Care. Rother, 64, who's been with the group for 27 years, said in an interview with CQ HealthBeat that the cost of health care has become a central issue for the nation and the coalition gives him a platform to tackle costs. In addition, it's the only broad-based coalition that has system-wide health change as its goal, said Rother, who's been executive vice president of policy at AARP and the group's top policy adviser (Norman, 9/8).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: Washington Shuffle: John Rother And Ralph Neas
Rother will replace Ralph Neas at NCHC, who will become president and CEO of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association. Rother will begin in his new role next week (Werber Serafini, 9/8).