The medical device industry spent a lot of money making sure its voice was heard in Washington during the healthcare reform kerfluffle at the end of last year, dropping more than $20 million on lobbying efforts for health issues at the U.S. House and Senate, the White House and the Food & Drug Administration.
According to filings made to the Lobbying Disclosure Act Database, during the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 companies spanning the industry’s largest players and smallest fry spent amounts ranging from nearly $7 million (General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE) and all of its subsidiaries, including GE Healthcare) to $9,000 (health information technology provider ZirMed Inc.).
Predictably, the biggest spenders were also the sector’s biggest players, according to the database. The next-largest lobbying spend after GE’s was made by Abbott (NYSE:ABT), which spent nearly $2.2 million during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) spent nearly $2 million, Baxter International $1.2 million, and Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) and Covidien (NYSE:COV) each spent about $1 million. Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE:BSX) spent a paltry amount in comparison with its peers, a mere $590,000.
Here’s a partial list of the medical device industry’s fourth-quarter lobbying spend, including a $200,000 contribution from industry advocate AdvaMed:
| COMPANY | AMOUNT |
| 3M Co. | $515,000 |
| Abbott | $2,160,000 |
| Accenture | $110,000 |
| AdvaMed | $200,000 |
| Advanced Tissue | $60,000 |
| Allergan | $541,000 |
| Aprima | $30,000 |
| Athenahealth | $20,000 |
| Baxter Healthcare | $1,217,500 |
| Becton, Dickinson | $215,000 |
| Boston Scientific | $590,000 |
| C.R. Bard | $30,000 |
| Carefusion | $90,000 |
| Cepheid | $100,000 |
| ConvaTec | $100,000 |
| Cook Group | $110,000 |
| Covidien | $1,090,000 |
| Cyberonics | $8,000 |
| Davita Inc. | $1,040,000 |
| DJO Inc. | $60,000 |
| Edwards Lifesciences | $295,000 |
| eHealth Global Technologies | $10,000 |
| GE (including subsidiaries) | $6,840,000 |
| GE Healthcare | $20,000 |
| Henry Schein Inc. | $10,000 |
| Hologic | $20,000 |
| Hospira | $180,000 |
| IMS | $140,000 |
| Intrafusion | $30,000 |
| Intuitive Surgical | $20,000 |
| Invacare | $30,000 |
| Inverness Medical Innovations | $30,000 |
| Johnson & Johnson | $1,960,000 |
| LifeIMAGE | $10,000 |
| Lifeline Vascular Access | $120,000 |
| Life Technologies Corp. | $250,000 |
| Medrad | $40,000 |
| Medtronic | $1,094,000 |
| MicroMedex | $30,000 |
| Navimedix | $30,000 |
| Owens & Minor | $75,039 |
| Quest Diagnostics | $226,349 |
| Stryker Corp. | $130,000 |
| Varian | $180,000 |
| Zimmer | $75,160 |
| ZirMed Inc. | $9,000 |
| TOTAL | $20,141,048 |
