Gail Shearer

Gail Shearer is Director of Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs and Director of Health Policy Analysis in the Washington, DC, office of Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. She has extensive experience in health-related issues such as healthcare reform, healthcare financing, Medicare prescription drugs, private health insurance to supplement Medicare (Medigap), long-term care insurance and medical savings accounts.

In 1990, she coordinated the successful campaign that culminated in simplification of the Medigap market with standard benefit packages. In 1993 and 1994, she testified extensively on how universal healthcare proposals can better serve consumers' interests. In 1996, she was a recognized expert on the controversial issue of Medical Savings Accounts, writing two reports that played a significant role in the debate. Her reports "Hidden from View: The Growing Burden of Health Care Costs" (1998) and "The Health Care Divide" (2000) analyzed consumer healthcare expenditures with a focus on variation of risk and the growing number of underinsured consumers. Her 2003 reports on the Medicare prescription drug bill helped shape and inform the public debate.

Prior to joining Consumers Union in 1985, Shearer served in various positions at the Federal Trade Commission, including Program Analyst in the Division of Policy and Evaluation, Bureau of Consumer Protection (1981 to 1985) and Chief Policy Analyst in the Office of Policy Planning (1977 – 1981). Shearer is a cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Smith College. She received a master's degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.