Michael J. O’Grady, Ph.D.

Michael O’Grady is a Senior Fellow at NORC at the University of Chicago and a Principal at O’Grady Health Policy LLC, a private health consulting firm. His work concentrates on health policy research and analysis for public and private organizations. His current research is concentrated on the interaction between scientific development and health economics, with a particular concentration on diabetes and obesity.  He also provides strategic consulting and analysis for a range of organizations. This includes the cost effectiveness and other economic impacts of new drugs and devices for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.  He is currently a member of the Maryland Health Care Commission, AcademyHealth Board of Directors and Chairs the RWJ Culture of Health Expert Advisory Committee.
 
Dr. O’Grady has more than 24 years’ experience working in key policy positions within Congress and the Administration. He served two years as Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As Assistant Secretary, he was the principal policy advisor to the Secretary on development in health, disability, aging, human services, science and data policy.  Much of his work at this time was focused on the implementation of the Medicare drug benefit and improving the data capabilities in key policy areas, such as accurate estimates of the number of uninsured Americans.  

Prior to his Senate confirmation as ASPE, he worked 19 years in Congress as Senior Health Advisor for the Senate Finance Committee and Senior Health Economist at the Joint Economic Committee. His work focused primarily on Medicare reform, the uninsured, prescription drug proposals, and other national health issues. He previously served on the staff of three congressional commissions: the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare; the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), and the Physician Payment Review Commission (PPRC). He also worked at the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. He holds a doctorate in Political Science from the University of Rochester.