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Connecting Sociology and YOU!

Diagnosis

  1. Provide a specific example of how lobbyists can influence healthcare policy in the U.S.
  2. Of the four listed healthcare corporations and organizations, which one is the most surprising or cause you to wonder why they are spending so much money to lobby for their causes?
  3. Are you aware of how your health profession uses lobbyists to garner support for their causes?

Lobbyists

A website advertising top graduate programs stated the following:

“If you are looking for a lucrative career, become a healthcare lobbyist.”

The website indicated that top lobbyist earn more than $300,000 per year. The terms “government relations consultant” or a “public affairs consultant” are preferred over lobbyist, but ultimately they lobby legislators and government bureaucrats to influence them to vote for legislation favorable to the companies and organizations represented by the lobbyist. These “consultants” work within healthcare industry associations, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare-related organizations. Lobbyists spend much of their time determining which bills will have the most impact – positive or negative – on their client and discerning who they should target to help sway the vote. Due to the recent changes in the healthcare system due to the Affordable Care Act and the attempt to repeal or replace it, there has been a tremendous amount of activity by lobbyist to influence Congress and the federal administration. On average, $500 million is spent annually by healthcare organizations on lobbying for healthcare related issues. The organizations that spent the most in 2017 for lobbying include:

1. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America – $25 million

2. Blue Cross/Blue Shield – $24 million

3. American Hospital Association – $22 million

4. American Medical Association – $21 million

These trade organizations and companies lobbied for issues related to Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program, Affordable Care Act, CDC National Immunization Program, pharmacy, medical and disease research, clinical labs, opioid addiction treatment, incentives for innovation to expedite the development and approval of drugs, and many more.