Medical device maker Boston Scientific Corp. spent $480,000 in the second quarter to lobby the federal government on the health reform overhaul as well as other health care-related matters.
That's even with the company's lobbying budget in the first quarter of 2010 and the prior-year period.
The Natick, Mass.-based company lobbied on details of the health care bill signed into law in March, which calls on medical device makers to pay between $2 billion and $3 billion in fees per year to fund expanding health care coverage. The implementation of some items are still being hammered out.
While industry executives have complained about the fees, Democratic lawmakers say that device companies will benefit from health care reform as more patients are eligible to get their products.
Boston Scientific also lobbied on a provision that requires drug and medical device manufacturers to disclose gifts given to physicians by their salespeople. The bill aims to curb corporate influence over medicine.
Boston Scientific, which makes heart-pacing devices and surgical implants, also lobbied on bills that would task the federal government with comparing the effectiveness of different drugs, devices and medical procedures. The effort aims to cut wasteful spending on ineffective treatments.
The medical device industry and others have maintained that any government assessments should not be used to deny coverage of expensive medical technology.
Company representatives also lobbied on corporate taxation and labor issues.
Along with Congress, the company lobbied the Food and Drug Administration, the Congressional Budget Office, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other agencies, according to a form filed July 15 with the House clerk's office
