John D. Desser — Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Public Policy at eHealth

Mr. John D. Desser has been Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Public Policy at eHealth, Inc. since August 3, 2017 and served as its Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs since August 2008 until August 3, 2017. Mr. Desser has over 17 years of experience in healthcare policy in Washington DC. Prior to joining eHealth, he held the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the US Department of Health and Human Services. While working in the Health and Human Services Department, Mr. Desser was selected by Secretary Michael O. Leavitt to lead the Administration's priority of Affordable Choices, a key initiative to extend basic, affordable health insurance to the uninsured. Before joining the Health and Human Services Department, Mr. Desser served as Vice President and Manager of the healthcare practice at Jefferson Government Relations LLC. In 2003, he also played a key role in the design, drafting and legislative strategy leading to the enactment of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). He began his career in Washington in 1990, as a health policy aide to the senior senator from Arizona, US Senator John McCain. Mr. Desser also served as a Legislative Assistant to then-US Representative Jon Kyl.