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

Commission Led By HHS Secretary Kennedy Will Probe ‘Threats’ To Children, Including Medicines

President Trump's Executive Order creating the commission does not mention vaccines, which Kennedy has criticized.

Commission Led By HHS Secretary Kennedy Will Probe ‘Threats’ To Children, Including Medicines

President Trump's Executive Order creating the commission names mental health and weight-loss drugs as treatments of concern. But it does not mention vaccines, which Kennedy has criticized.

Compounded GLP-1s For Obesity: Is The Genie Out Of The Bottle?

Patient demand for compounded versions of FDA-approved obesity drugs is unlikely to dissipate, even if semaglutide’s “shortage” status is resolved. The issue likely will continue to be a high-profile concern for the brand industry.

Compounded GLP-1s For Obesity: Is The Genie Out Of The Bottle?

Patient demand for compounded versions of FDA approved obesity drugs is unlikely to dissipate, even if semaglutide’s “shortage” status is resolved. The issue likely will continue to be a high profile concern for the brand industry.

US Medicare Agency Brings Back Familiar Faces For Trump 2.0

Several first-term Trump veterans are returning to leadership roles at the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ahead of the expected confirmation of Mehmet Oz to lead the agency.

Medicare Part D Redesign: More Firms See New Discounts Offsetting Spending Cap Benefit

AbbVie, J&J, Merck and Pfizer discussed recent projections for the redesign's impact.