Healthcare groups report ‘busy’ year of lobbying

COVID-19, Medicaid, tobacco use and mental health were major focuses of lobbying last year, according to the groups that spent the most time and hours focused on state health policy issues.

Lobbying organizations have to file reports with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission twice a year on the time and dollars they spend. The legislative session finished in March, and groups have reported their efforts through the end of last year.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association spent around $739,476 and 4,111 hours working on lobbying in 2021, the highest amount among groups primarily focused on health policy.

WHA CEO Eric Borgerding said healthcare continues to be a “busy place” in the public policy arena.

“It’s been very busy, very complex, very dynamic and, at times, tense,” he said.

Borgerding said COVID-19 has stressed the healthcare system and workforce, and WHA’s efforts have been focused on alleviating that pressure. That included an emphasis on making temporary regulatory flexibilities granted during the pandemic permanent.

COVID-19 has also highlighted areas to focus on in the future, like challenges in long-term care and public health that affected the capacity of health systems, he said.

“We’re going to have a lot to work on going forward,” Borgerding said. “You don’t learn lessons by just acknowledging them. You learn lessons by things changing because of them.”

The lobbying report only reflects a portion of the time WHA spent advocating, particularly around issues stemming from COVID-19, he added. For instance, it doesn’t include the work it did with the Department of Health Services on COVID-19 testing sites, vaccine distribution and addressing staffing challenges as well as the WHA COVID-19 dashboard.

WHA also engages in a broad scope of healthcare issues that’s expanded in recent years due to growing expectations on their members to cover the total health of a person and community, he said.

Gundersen Health System spent 1,921 hours advocating, the second-highest number among groups focused on health policy.

“Engaging policymakers on issues important to patients, families, staff and the communities we serve is an important part of the Gundersen Health System mission,” Nathan Franklin, director of external affairs, said in a statement. “Keeping providers connected with lawmakers helps each of us better understand the challenges of providing excellent healthcare in the rural communities we serve.”

Altria Client Services, which lobbies on tobacco-related issues for its affiliates including cigarette and tobacco company Philip Morris, spent $202,371 in 2021, mostly on advocating in support of a bill raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 to align with federal law. It was the second highest number of dollars among groups primarily focused on health policy.

Spokesman David Sutton said they led the industry in advocating for Congress to raise the age, which could help reduce underage tobacco use.

They encourage states to align their laws with the federal requirement. So far 39 states and Washington, D.C. have done so.

“We continue to lobby on this issue in the states that have not yet made this important change in policy,” he said. “Wisconsin is in danger of losing more than $6.8 million per year if it does not enact this policy at the state level in 2023.”

Children’s Wisconsin was third in spending at $189,628. Spokesman Andy Brodzeller said they worked on issues related to mental health, foster care, adoption, dental care, Medicaid funding and safety and injury prevention.

“Since kids can’t vote, our efforts are focused on making sure the needs and priorities of kids’ health have a voice with our elected officials,” he said.

The Medical College of Wisconsin spent $183,659 and 1,575 hours, fourth on both measures. Kathy Kuhn, vice president of government and community relations, said they’re “proud to be a proactive leader advancing healthcare policy and improving health for all across Wisconsin.”

“In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic and an unprecedented amount of healthcare policy introduced this session led to MCW’s active engagement on a large number of legislative initiatives, including several proposals improving mental health access for Wisconsin’s residents,” she said.

The Wisconsin Medical Society had the fifth-highest amount of spending among health-policy-focused groups at $179,806. Mark Grapentine, chief policy and advocacy officer, said that healthcare policy advocacy is a major reason why their members join the organization.

“I wish we ranked higher than fifth, to be honest,” he said. “But as an individual membership organization, I’m proud of what we’re able to accomplish – that’s a credit to our amazing members and the dedicated WisMed staff.”

Richelle Andrae, Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association government relations specialist, said they worked with policymakers to advance initiatives like increasing funding to expand access to care in the state and developing Medicaid telehealth policy. The association spent 1,909 hours lobbying, the third-highest for hours.

Andrae said they also support extending postpartum Medicaid coverage and allowing dental therapists to practice in the state.

“We anticipate continuing to advance these proposals moving forward, as well as focusing on healthcare workforce issues in the next budget and legislative session,” she said.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in Wisconsin spent 1,391 hours lobbying, the fifth highest number.

Sara Sahli, government relations director, said their members are committed to reducing the state’s tobacco burden, removing barriers to Medicaid and expanding the program under the Affordable Care Act.

“This number reflects staff time spent communicating with lawmakers – advocating for and lifting up the voices of cancer patients and their families,” Sahli said. “More importantly, it demonstrates the significant amount of hours spent working with our volunteers and training them to share their stories with their elected officials.”

The top five organizations focused on health policy with the most spending were: