Leigh Purvis, MPA

Areas of Expertise

Prescription drug pricing, biologic drugs, and Medicare prescription drug coverage

Profile

Leigh Purvis is the Director of Health Care Costs and Access in AARP’s Public Policy Institute. She leads a team of policy analysts and researchers who work on health care issues that are relevant to the 50+ population.  In addition, Ms. Purvis heads the Institute’s work on prescription drug and mental health issues. Her primary areas of expertise are prescription drug pricing, biologic drugs, and prescription drug coverage under Medicare. She is a coauthor of the Public Policy Institute’s annual Rx Price Watch reports, which track price trends for prescription drugs widely used by older Americans.

Ms. Purvis joined AARP in 2005 as a senior policy research analyst. Prior to her tenure at AARP, she worked for the American Psychological Association.  Ms. Purvis is a recognized expert on prescription drug issues and frequently speaks with the press.

Ms. Purvis has a MPA with a concentration in health administration and policy from George Mason University and a BS in psychology from the University of Mary Washington. She also holds a certificate in gerontology from the University of Washington.

In Her Words

“Among the senior population, there’s often a troubling dynamic between high prescription drug costs and a need to forego other basic necessities.” “Hard to Swallow: Drug Prices for Seniors Jump 26%,” Fox Business News, March 30, 2012

Selected Publications

• Purvis, L., “AARP Rx Price Watch Report: Tracking Retail Price Changes for Widely Used Prescription Drugs,” (Washington, DC, AARP Public Policy Institute Report Series, June 2013).
• Purvis, L., “Medicare Part D Open Enrollment for 2014: Popular Plans Continue to Evolve,” (Washington, DC, AARP Public Policy Institute, December 2013).
• Purvis, L., “Biologics in Perspective: The New Biosimilar Approval Pathway,” (Washington, DC, AARP Public Policy Institute, October 2011).

See all blogs by Leigh Purvis

Contact

lpurvis@aarp.org

202-434-3890