When tensions between the Obama administration and the nation's health insurers were at their highest earlier this year, Ronald A. Williams, the chief executive of Aetna, stood out as one of the few industry voices that still resonated within the White House. He stayed above the fray even as other executives were drawn into noisy disputes with lawmakers over the health care law. A soft-spoken executive whose pragmatism and focus on detail are credited with helping turn Aetna around, Williams advocated for the insurance industry when it was under fierce political attack. Democratic leaders, including President Barack Obama, cast insurers as villains, sharply criticizing them for raising rates at the expense of their customers and abandoning people when they became ill by canceling their coverage. As he stepped down as Aetna's chief executive in late November, Williams, 61, seemed fairly disillusioned about what was accomplished by the new law. He said he felt he had no choice but to persevere throughout the legislative battle, despite what he described as 'the exceedingly poor tone shown by leadership in demonizing a whole industry.' 'Ultimately,' he said, 'I believe it was important to be at the table.' But Williams also reflects the insurers' deep ambivalence about the final legislation. While he says he does not support repealing the law, he has only faint praise for what it may do. When asked to describe its greatest achievement, he cites 'heightened awareness.' He and other major insurers did succeed in helping to ward off creation of a government-run health plan. Still, Williams and other executives worry about the law's effect over the coming years. Williams argues that legislators need to be mindful of the practical impact of the law as insurers scramble to meet the new requirements. 'At the policy level, you can make these broad pronouncements,' he said, but insurers have to make very practical decisions about how much they should charge in order to cover a given group of people. 'It matters what the numbers produce,' he said. By next spring, Williams will have given up all day-to-day responsibilities at Aetna, although he will continue to serve as a consultant to the company. But he said he planned to continue to talk with policy makers. 'I'm willing to share my views with Congress, the administration and anyone who asks,' he said. 