Washington Post Examines 'Winners,' 'Losers' Among Lobbyists In 2007

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 03 Jan 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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The Washington Post on Tuesday examined the "winners" and "losers" among lobbyists in 2007. According to the Post, among the winners in 2007, a partnership between AARP and the American Medical Association -- "two of Washington's most potent pressure groups" -- "eked out a victory that was barely noticed by the general public at the end of the year but was pivotal to doctors." The groups lobbied Congress to delay by six months a scheduled 10% reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements.

However, the groups "did not succeed every time," as they failed to lobby lawmakers to pass legislation to reauthorize and expand SCHIP that included a 61-cent increase in the federal cigarette tax, the Post reports. The SCHIP bill "was defeated by two of the other winners of the year: the tobacco lobby and America's Health Insurance Plans," according to the Post.

Pharmaceutical companies, among the losers in 2007, "were major targets of Congress's Democratic majority," the Post reports. According to the Post, pharmaceutical companies "fended off the strongest assaults," such as a "proposal to force them to negotiate prescription drug prices under Medicare," but they "did come out on the short end in one legislative skirmish -- the drive to alter the nation's patent laws," as an "alliance that represents tech companies steered a bill that it likes -- and drug companies oppose -- through the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full House" (Birnbaum, Washington Post, 1/1).

Democratic Congress
NPR's "Morning Edition" on Thursday reported on Democrats' attempts to pass health care legislation in 2007. According to "Morning Edition," at the start of the year, Democrats "had big plans for health care," including giving the federal government authority to negotiate prescription drug prices under Medicare, increasing federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and expanding SCHIP. At the close of the year, Democrats "have accomplished none of those things," "Morning Edition" reports. Democratic-backed measures on mental health parity and genetic discrimination also are yet to reach the president. The segment includes comments from Drew Altman, CEO and president of the Kaiser Family Foundation; President Bush; Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.); and Democratic Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel (Ohio) (Rovner, "Morning Edition," NPR, 12/27/2008).

Audio of the segment is available online.

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