Cathy Kelly

Cathy Kelly

Senior Writer

Washington, DC

Cathy has covered US regulation and reimbursement policy for the biopharma industry since 2004, starting with the establishment of the Medicare Part D program. Since then, she has written extensively about developments in all major sectors of the US insurance market (Medicare, Medicaid and commercial plans). She has covered key legislation affecting biopharma, including the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act which created Part D, health care reform under President Obama, and the Inflation Reduction Act which establishes a government price negotiation program in Medicare for the first time and redesigns of the Part D benefit. She has closely followed the increasing influence of pharmacy benefit managers and their use of formulary negotiations and rebates to control pricing. Cathy also has covered developments in health technology assessments, including the growing influence of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, and has monitored industry progress on novel drug contracting that reflects value-based pricing. She has worked as a health care reporter and editor while raising three daughters. Cathy lives outside DC in Bethesda, MD, with her husband Sean.

Latest from Cathy Kelly

Medicare Negotiated Drugs Can Face Immediate Generic, Biosimilar Substitution, CMS Proposal Confirms

Stelara, Xarelto, Januvia and Farxiga, which are expected to have biosimilar or generic competition before the end of 2026, could be the first negotiated drugs subject to the policy.

Incoming US FTC Chair Endorses Agency Report Challenging PBM Generic Drug Markups

Chairman-designee Andrew Ferguson likely will continue the commission’s investigation of PBMs during the next administration.

Medicare Negotiated Drugs Can Face Immediate Generic, Biosimilar Substitution, CMS Proposal Confirms

Stelara, Xarelto, Januvia and Farxiga, which are expected to have biosimilar or generic competition before the end of 2026, could be the first negotiated drugs subject to the policy.

Incoming US FTC Chair Endorses Agency Report Challenging PBM Generic Drug Markups

Chairman-designee Andrew Ferguson likely will continue the commission’s investigation of PBMs during the next administration.

US vs. Foreign Drug Pricing Debate Must Include Global R&D ‘Free Riding,’ Pharma CEOs Say

Any Trump Administration policy involving international pricing should include foreign governments paying higher prices, as well as lowering US prices, CEOs say.

Medicare Negotiated Prices Likely ‘Spilling Over’ Into Commercial Market, Payers Say

A TD Cowen survey explored expectations about the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, access to 340B discounts and general price trends.