Candidates in the midterm elections who supported such measures as repealing the medical-device tax, changing the Medicare physician-pay formula and reforming the medical malpractice system were rewarded with large contributions from medical societies and other healthcare organizations.
A Sunlight Foundation analysis of independent expenditures of $50,000 or more to candidates in the most recent election found that 14 of those healthcare groups gave donations totaling $6.9 million.
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) was a top recipient, bringing in large gifts totaling almost $581,000, including more than $431,000 from the American Hospital Association.
AHA representatives declined to be interviewed for this article but a statement from Tom Nickels, AHA senior vice president of federal relations, said, “We are supportive of Sen. Roberts, as he has been a champion of rural hospitals in Kansas and around the country.”
Physician groups contributed heavily to one of their own, Dr. Ami Bera, a California Democrat seeking a second term in the House of Representatives. He received almost $460,000 from healthcare associations and, apparently, he needed every dollar. The race was not decided until two weeks after the election and the final tally of absentee votes gave Bera a 1,432-vote victory over former GOP Congressman Doug Ose for the Sacramento-area House seat. It was said to be the nation's most-expensive House race, with spending topping $20 million.
Bera is the only Democratic co-sponsor of H.R. 4106, the Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act, which would establish independent expert panels to review malpractice cases and provide a safe harbor for physicians who can prove they followed evidence-based clinical guidelines.
GOP physicians Charles Boustany of Louisiana, Tom Price of Georgia, and Phil Roe of Tennessee also co-sponsored the bill, which was endorsed by the American College of Physicians (PDF). But there has been no action on the bill since it was referred to the House Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice in March.
Congress failed to deliver other items on their healthcare contributors' wish lists. Lawmakers did not repeal Medicare's sustainable growth-rate physician payment formula or the medical device tax. Despite these failures, the groups continue to give to political campaigns.
“People talk about not getting exactly what they want—I'd like to know of a group who is getting exactly what they want from this Congress,” said Dr. James Madara, executive vice president and CEO of the American Medical Association. “This Congress has been very difficult.”
The AMA contributes to campaigns via AMPAC, its political action committee. Madara said these donations are a “general tool” and part of a continuous bipartisan effort to promote the group's nonpartisan agenda. Tying donations to a single bill or cause wouldn't help this effort, he said.
Madara added that the AMA contributes to candidates who support policies that support the organization's general mission of promoting the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.
Although AMPAC gifts don't show up in their analysis, Sunlight Foundation consultant Nancy Watzman agreed with Madara on the nonpartisan stance of healthcare political contributions.
“Contributions from doctor and medical society groups, they stick out like a sore thumb,” Watzman said. “Most contributions come from ideological groups—either conservative or liberal—or issue-oriented groups, like those involved in climate change.”
But healthcare PACs—whether it's the AHA or the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists' CRNA-PAC—are among the most bipartisan.
“Some organizations give the bulk of their money to PACs, while Wall Street interests give money through their executives,” Watzman added. “But, what's interesting about these groups is that they give to both sides of the aisle.”
OPHTHPAC, the political arm of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, gave money to Democratic doctors Bera and Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), as well as GOP physicians Daniel Benishek of Michigan, Joe Heck of Nevada, and ophthalmologist Nan Hayworth of New York.
Heck is the only osteopathic physician in Congress and he also practiced emergency medicine. Not surprisingly, he received $99,750 from the American Osteopathic Information Association PAC and $92,000 from the National Emergency Medicine PAC. (It also gave $75,000 to Democrat Ruiz who practiced emergency medicine as well.)
The only congressional leader to show up on the Sunlight Foundation's radar was Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who will take over as Senate Majority leader in January. McConnell took in $158,615 from the American College of Radiology Association PAC and $50,000 from the American Optometric Association PAC.
Although they've shown a questionable return on investment, Watzman said she doesn't see physician organization contributions declining while the annual ritual over SGR-driven cuts continues.
“This gets fought every year,” she said. “The pay cuts, that hits them where it really hurts.”
Follow Andis Robeznieks on Twitter: @MHARobeznieks
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