Hartford Business Journal

10 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 9, 2024 Paul Mounds, vice president of community and corporate alliances for Yale New Haven Health System, says the legislature and executive branch have been "heavily focused" on healthcare issues, which has prompted lobbying from the industry. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Healthy Influence In past 5 years, healthcare organizations have dominated spending on lobbying proposals that have been advanced," Halpin said. "The efforts at estab- lishing a public option are at the forefront of that." Legislation to create a state-run health insurance option, which the health plans association has vehemently opposed, was proposed during the 2019 legislative session, and again during the 2021 and 2023 sessions. It has yet to pass. "But that's not the only issue," Halpin said. "There are so many different and complex elements to the healthcare landscape that warrant significant resources and attention." For Karen Buckley, vice presi- dent of advocacy for the CHA, that includes the pandemic's wider impact. "COVID really changed a lot of things in Connecticut," Buckley said. "But in particular, I think what happened as a result of the response to the emer- gency is that the role of healthcare institutions — hospitals, home care, nursing homes and others — really emphasized … how interconnected we all are." As a result, she said, the issues the CHA lobbies on involve almost every legislative committee. "If one part of the healthcare delivery system is not working, or is impacted by a piece of legislation, it impacts all the others," Buckley said. Paul Mounds agrees. A former chief of staff for Gov. Ned Lamont, Mounds now serves as vice presi- dent of community and corporate alliances for Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS). He says the legisla- ture and executive branch have been "heavily focused" on health care. "So, it's important for organizations … like Yale New Haven Health — which is not only the largest non-governmental employer in the state, but also is extremely diverse in terms of the range of business structures — to make sure that our voice is heard," he said. One key issue for Yale New Haven Health has been its stalled acquisi- tion of Prospect Medical Holdings' Connecticut hospitals in Waterbury, Manchester and Vernon — a deal that is now tied up in a contentious court battle as both sides spar over the original $435 million purchase price. Executives from both hospitals met with Lamont in September to discuss the deal, according to the CT Mirror. Year-round work Mounds also said it's important to understand that lobbying occurs well beyond each legislative session, and that the spending figures repre- sent more than just the money paid to lobbyists. "This is year-round in terms of the work," he said. "We really feel it's important that we're able to commu- nicate, and also educate govern- ment officials about the various issues that are happening in the healthcare landscape." YNHHS' lobbying spending was eighth-highest among all organi- zations in 2019-20 ($815,066) and By David Krechevsky davidk@hartfordbusiness.com I n the past five years, the number of healthcare-related organiza- tions ranked in the top 10 for lobbying spending at the state Capitol has increased significantly. According to data from the Office of State Ethics, which tracks and regu- lates lobbying activity, there were just two healthcare-related organizations among the top five lobbying spenders in the two-year period of 2019 and 2020, and just three among the top 10. That changed dramatically in the next two-year cycle. For 2021-22, four of the top five and six of the top 10 lobbying spenders were healthcare-related organizations. The numbers are similar for the 2023-24 cycle, which remains ongoing. In fact, of the $12.5 million spent so far by the 12 largest lobbying spenders in 2023-24, 58% was doled out by healthcare-related entities, including the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) and Connecticut Association of Health Plans (CTAHP), which represents one regional and four national health insurers. Both of those organizations are annually among the highest spenders, while Hartford Health- Care, which has been aggressively expanding its statewide footprint, in recent years has reported a signifi- cant increase in lobbying spending. During the current 2023-24 reporting period, Hartford HealthCare is the third-largest spender ($1.02 million), behind only Eversource ($1.3 million) and the CHA ($3.2 million). So, what prompted healthcare organizations to leap to the forefront of lobbying in Hartford? Of course, 2020 saw the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, which created tremendous hardships for healthcare providers and their staffs. Yet those who lobby on behalf of hospitals and healthcare providers say the pandemic was not the only reason for the dramatic spike in spending. And the trend is likely to continue in the years ahead, as the industry faces significant headwinds and lawmakers debate key issues, including how to manage the growing financial burden of Medicaid, and how to reform the often-criticized regulatory process for mergers, acquisitions and other business transactions among hospitals and providers. Popular topic Susan Halpin, co-principal for the government relations group at Hart- ford-based law firm Robinson + Cole and executive director of the CTAHP, says health care is always a popular topic in the General Assembly. "I think the volume of healthcare legis- lation is the quick answer (for why so much is spent on lobbying), and also the significance of some of the Karen Buckley Susan Halpin TOP LOBBYING SPENDERS IN CT (2023-24) CT HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION $3,222,228.60 EVERSOURCE $1,275,848.25 HARTFORD HEALTHCARE $1,095,415.31 PARTNERSHIP FOR AMERICA'S HEALTH CARE FUTURE ACTION $1,000,084.00 CBIA $706,448.91 ESPN Inc. $696,270.28 CONNECTICUT CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER $694,966.00 INSURANCE ASSOC. OF CT $681,810.35 CT ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH PLANS $672,514.54 CONNECTICUT BANKERS ASSOCIATION $657,781.43 CONNECTICUT TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION $623,919.78 AVPORTS LLC $622,224.30 YALE NEW HAVEN HEALTH SYSTEM $584,986.30 Note: The spending is for the two-year reporting period of 2023 and 2024. The data was updated as of Nov. 23, 2024. | Source: Office of State Ethics

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