Health care lobbying in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relative political influence of different organizations, we examined the efforts of health care organizations to influence policy decisions by lobbying lawmakers.


METHODS
We reviewed reports filed by lobbyists from 1997 to 2000, as required by the Lobbying Disclosure Act, to characterize health care lobbying at the federal level in the United States.


RESULTS
Health care lobbying expenditures totaled 237 million dollars in 2000. These expenditures accounted for 15% of all federal lobbying and were larger than the lobbying expenditures of every other sector, including agriculture, communications, and defense. A total of 1192 organizations were involved in health care lobbying. Pharmaceutical and health product companies spent the most (96 million dollars), followed by physicians and other health professionals (46 million dollars). Disease advocacy and public health organizations spent 12 million dollars. From 1997 to 2000, lobbying expenditures by physicians and other health professionals grew more slowly than lobbying by other organizations (10% vs. 26%).


CONCLUSIONS
Although policy decisions are influenced by many factors, our findings may indicate a limited political influence of disease advocacy and public health organizations and a declining political influence of physicians and other health professionals.
Landers
Steven H
SH
Department of Family Medicine, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Sehgal
Ashwini R
AR
D004345:Drug Industry / Q000191:economics; D005381:Financing, Organized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019981:Health Care Sector; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000191:economics; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000191:economics; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry / Q000191:economics*; D008119:Lobbying; D011050:Policy Making; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States