Deborah Kelch

Deborah Reidy Kelch, M.P.P.A., is a retired health policy researcher and recognized expert with 40 years of experience working to improve health care quality, access, and coverage in California.

Deborah served for 15 years as policy and fiscal consultant to the California Legislature, including as Senior Consultant and Chief Consultant to the Assembly Health Committee, legislative aide to multiple elected officials, staff to the Assembly and Senate committees on aging, and budget staff with the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

As owner and principal of Kelch Policy Group for two decades, Deborah led research and authored numerous health policy reports, articles, and projects across the health care landscape. Her consultation with nonprofits and state agencies included strategic planning, grant writing, project management, meeting facilitation, training, and staff mentoring. She was the founding executive director of the Central Valley Health Network, a consortium of multi-site community health centers serving 17 California counties.

Kelch Policy Group directed the Health Insurance Alignment Project, funded by the California Health Care Foundation, which provided leadership, analysis, and technical assistance to California policymakers during the state’s implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act. The project helped guide state decisionmakers in preserving California’s strong consumer protections while implementing expanded federal coverage and affordability policies. Deborah also served as lead federal grant writer on California’s applications for federal exchange funding for development of Covered California.

From 2016 to 2020, Deborah served as Executive Director of Insure the Uninsured Project (ITUP), a California-based health policy think tank that focused on expanding health care access and coverage through research and stakeholder engagement.

In retirement, Deborah writes poetry and fiction, is a member of the California Writers Club, Sacramento branch, and volunteers with local community organizations.