Despite many attempts by Congress to ‘repeal and replace’ Obamacare, including three concerted efforts since President Trump took office, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) seems to have traction. There are concerns that some efforts by the White House will undermine the law, but yet it prevails. Can this last?

Jeanne Lambrew, who served as President Obama’s deputy assistant for health policy, will visit Princeton on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Her talk, “Why the Affordable Care Act Survives and What’s Next,” will be held at 4:30 p.m. in Robertson Hall.

Lambrew’s substantial career in health policy spanned both the Obama and Clinton administrations. From 2011 to January 2017, she worked at the White House as the deputy assistant to the president for health policy, helping ensure execution of President Obama’s health policy agenda, including implementation and defense of the ACA. During the first two years of Obama’s presidency, she served as director of the Office of Health Reform at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In that role, she coordinated work toward passage and implementation of the ACA.

Lambrew’s portfolio also included policy regarding Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and public health. She helped to develop positions on legislation and executive actions, direct special projects and analyses, review regulations, manage short-term challenges, set the long-term agenda, and coordinate work with key departments.

Lambrew served in the Clinton administration in the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (1993–1995), the White House National Economic Council (1997–1999), and the White House Office of Management and Budget (2000–2001). She led White House efforts to draft and implement the Children’s Health Insurance Program and helped develop the president’s Medicare reform plan, initiative on long-term care, and other health care proposals.

Currently, Lambrew is a senior fellow at The Century Foundation and an adjunct professor at New York University. Her writing, research, and teaching focus on policies to improve health care access, affordability, and quality.

Lambrew will be visiting the School as part of its Leadership through Mentorship Program.