Hospitals have spent years amassing political affect on the federal and state ranges. In accordance with the nonprofit OpenSecrets, hospitals and nursing houses’ federal lobbying spending rose from $35 million in 2000 to greater than $133 million final 12 months, a 280% improve.
They not too long ago had a novel alternative to flex a few of that political muscle in Montana, the place the state’s Medicaid growth program was scheduled to run out in June except legislators and the governor renewed it.
Conservative lawmakers and teams noticed a possibility to terminate or slender the Medicaid growth program that price about $1 billion in federal and state taxpayer cash final 12 months to cowl tens of hundreds of low-income adults. In the end, the conservative Republican lawmakers who occupy state Home and Senate management positions sought so as to add necessities to this system or obtain concessions from hospitals, similar to a promise to bolster their neighborhood profit spending, in return for persevering with this system that gives them with income.
What was anticipated to be one of many extra contentious debates of the legislative session by no means occurred. The Medicaid growth renewal invoice sailed by means of with little issue and few adjustments.
The hospitals spent the final 12 months working to type a coalition with companies, well being clinics, doctor teams, insurers, and advocates for individuals with low incomes to push for extension of Medicaid growth, which offers authorities well being protection to about 74,500 low-income, nondisabled Montanans. That work paid off when Democratic and average Republicans lawmakers joined forces to push the invoice by means of.
Hospital lobbyists, led by the Montana Hospital Affiliation, not solely helped steamroll Medicaid growth by means of the legislature, however additionally they defeated practically all makes an attempt so as to add new necessities to this system and to position new rules on the hospitals themselves.
The hospitals’ political pull is acknowledged by pissed off conservative lawmakers who contend that the services, most of that are nonprofit organizations largely exempt from state and federal taxes, want extra oversight and transparency. As Republican state Sen. Greg Hertz put it, “Hospitals don’t appear to need to come to the desk to debate something, whether or not it’s transparency, controlling prices, or offering extra data to the general public on companies.”
Hospitals say they’re keen to debate methods to enhance well being care in Montana. However relating to rules they regard as onerous — or lawmaker criticism that they’re uncooperative — they aren’t shy about pushing again. “I believe that we’ve demonstrated that we work on every kind of well being insurance policies,” mentioned Montana Hospital Affiliation president and CEO Bob Olsen.
