Providers dished out the lobbying bucks

In actions sure to be reflected this year as well, a group of Birmingham, Ala.-based healthcare providers pulled together in 2006 to lobby for common causes, spending nearly $3 million on Washington, D.C. lobbying efforts during 2006 alone. HealthSouth, for example, paid lobbyists roughly $500,000 to fight proposed changes to Medicare reimbursement formulas for inpatient rehab hospitals, its primary business. Another big spender, Children's Hospital System, spent $300,000 in 2006 to keep legislators firmly behind adequate Medicaid funding. And the state's largest healthcare system, Baptist Health System, paid a lobbying firm $120,000 in 2006 to monitor federal bills.

Elsewhere in the United States, of course, major health players continued to pursue their agenda as well. Tenet Healthcare, for example, spent $385,000 on federal lobbying last year.

If this sounds like a lot of lobbying investment, just wait till this year as the U.S. presidential race heats up. Gentlemen, start your lobbying engines!

To find out more about these lobbying investments:
- read this Birmingham Business Journal article

Related Articles:
Pharmas, device firms spend $182M on lobbying. Report
Bay area biotechs plan new lobbying strategy. Report
Healthcare industry leads in campaign contributions. Report

Post a comment