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Ellyn Frohberg

Consultant II

Ellyn Frohberg helps clients understand trends across the healthcare ecosystem, illuminating how policy changes impact business objectives and strategic imperatives.

Ellyn’s work focuses on marrying policy implications, primary and secondary market research, and strategic analysis to help clients develop a nuanced view of their unique position in the market. In recent projects, she has helped clients develop perspectives on the market landscape and build out roadmaps to respond to shifts in market dynamics. She has policy expertise in Medicare Part D, pharmaceutical management, patient services and access, preventive products, and recent legislation including the Inflation Reduction Act.

Before joining Avalere, Ellyn served as a growth strategy consultant at Strategy& (part of the PwC network) focused on helping senior leadership teams at life sciences organizations improve performance and make strategic decisions to reach their enterprise goals. Ellyn has varied experience across therapeutic areas and product types, with deep expertise in oncology, cell and gene therapies, precision medicine, and real-world date and evidence. She also has academic research experience and a background in community-based health programs.

Ellyn holds a dual BSPH in public health and a BS in psychology with Honors from Tulane University.

Authored Content


Avalere analysis finds that when generics in Part D are placed on the preferred brand tier some patients pay the full cost for their drugs.

An Avalere survey of 37 decision-makers at risk-bearing payer entities identified shifting trends and focus for coverage of and access to behavioral health treatments and services.

For prescription drug fills across 4 therapeutic areas, Avalere analysis finds that Medicare Part D beneficiaries who receive the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) have those drugs prescribed by a specialist less frequently than those who do not receive LIS.

On March 8–9, the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) discussed avenues to achieving equitable access to HIV prevention products for at-risk populations as well as next steps in revising the National Strategic Plan to End the HIV Epidemic.

The majority of state legislatures are currently in session, and many states are taking steps to address prescription drug spending and prices through a range of legislative proposals. While states have historically focused on price transparency, state policymakers are now moving beyond those measures to more directly control prescription drug prices through reference pricing, affordability review boards setting upper payment limits, and other price control mechanisms.

With Congress likely to consider a second reconciliation bill in the near future that may include various drug-pricing and Medicare Part D reform policies as spending offsets, an updated Avalere analysis examines spending across classes with various availability of brand and generic drugs.

A new analysis from Avalere finds that in 2021, Medicare Part D plans place generic prescription drugs on generic tiers 45% of the time, a decrease from 64% in 2016.

Avalere analysis finds that the candidates’ healthcare coverage reform proposals could impact a range of 23M to 153M individuals across insurance markets.

New Avalere analysis finds higher premiums for the enhanced standalone drug plans participating in the model.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act appropriated $100 billion for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund—known as the Provider Relief Fund (PRF)—and subsequent legislation appropriated an additional $75 billion through the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.

Avalere analysis finds that 51% of all drug spending for non-LIS beneficiaries using insulins and enrolled in enhanced plans in 2018 was for products not participating in the model.

As policymakers discuss ways to curb program expenditures and improve patient affordability in Medicare Part D, the role of charitable assistance in helping beneficiaries with out-of-pocket (OOP) costs has garnered interest. To understand the relationship between charitable assistance and various Part D metrics, Avalere examined Part D prescription drug claims for beneficiaries without the Low Income Subsidy (LIS) for 2014 and 2018.

New Avalere analysis finds that Medicare Part D patients taking brand prostate cancer drugs enrolled in Employer Group Waiver Plans (EGWPs) have more prescriptions in the coverage gap than patients in non-employer plans.

Avalere analysis finds that former Vice President Joe Biden’s proposal to lower the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60 could increase access to Medicare coverage for an additional 23 million individuals.

According to a new analysis from Avalere, Medicare Part D beneficiaries who are taking mental health drugs and do not receive low-income cost-sharing support are responsible for a higher share of the cost of mental health drugs (46%) than for non-mental health drugs (23%).

Healthcare policy remains a top priority for both voters and policymakers in 2019 and has been a key part of campaign platforms.