Healthcare lobbying spending consistently outpaced other sector-related lobbying year after year, and in 2017, the healthcare lobby spent $555 million, according to OpenSecrets.org, a group which tracks spending in politics.
Here are six statistics on healthcare-related lobbying:
1. Healthcare lobbying outpaced all other industries — the second closest industry was the finance, insurance and real estate lobby, which spent $517 million.
2. Broken down, pharmaceutical companies were the biggest spenders with $277.78 million spent on lobbying in 2017; hospitals and nursing homes were the second-largest spending group with $99.63 million; and health professionals the third, spending $89.53 million.
3. These five pharmaceutical companies and groups spent the most on lobbying in 2017:
Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America: $25.84 million
Amgen: $10.62 million
Pfizer: $10.43 million
Bayer: $9.4 million
Biotechnology Innovation Organization: $9.39 million.
4. These five hospital groups spent the most on lobbying in 2017:
American Hospital Association: $22.06 million
National Association of Children's Hospitals: $4.17 million
American Health Care Association: $3.8 million
Federation of American Hospitals: $3.74 million
Select Medical Holdings: $2.44 million
5. These five hospital organizations spent the most on lobbying in 2017:
Louisville, Ky.-based Kindred Healthcare: $2.11 million
Dallas.-based Tenet Healthcare: $1.56 million
St. Louis-based Ascension Health: $1.32 million
Pittsburgh-based UPMC: $1.31 million
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic: $990,000
6. Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America ($25.84 million), Blue Cross/Blue Shield ($24.33 million), the American Hospital Association ($22.06 million) and American Medical Association ($21.53 million) spent the most on lobbying in 2017.