Baxter spent over $1 million to lobby federal government on reform efforts

Baxter lobbying budget tops $1 million for 4Q

WASHINGTON — Drug and medical device maker Baxter International Inc. spent over a million dollars lobbying on the health care reform effort and related bills in the fourth quarter.

The Deerfield, Ill.-based company spent $1.02 million to lobby on the health care bills moving through the House and Senate, according to a recent disclosure report. That amount was up from $620,000 in the same period last year.

The company lobbied on proposals that would force medical device makers to pay between $2 billion and $3 billion in fees per year to help pay for expanding health care coverage. 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.

The future of the overhaul is unclear following an unexpected Republican victory for the Massachusetts Senate seat held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy — costing Democrats the 60th vote needed to quickly move bills through that chamber

Baxter lobbyists also advocated their position on a bill aimed at updating the U.S. patent system. The pharmaceutical and medical device industries have argued that reform efforts must not weaken patent protections on medical products by reducing infringement penalties. The reform effort has largely stalled in Congress.

The company also lobbied on a bill that would require drug and medical device manufacturers to disclose gifts given to physicians by their salespeople. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Herb Kohl, D-Wis., is aimed at curbing companies’ influence over medicine.

Besides Congress, the company lobbied the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, according to a Jan. 19 filing with the House clerk’s office.

Baxter’s lobbyists included Jack Maniko, a former counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee; Deborah Williams, former staffer for the House Ways and Means Committee; and J.V. Schwan, former deputy chief of staff for the Department of Commerce.