The biggest players in the health care industry are pouring record sums into K Street, Washington’s lobbying corridor, as the Trump administration steps up scrutiny of their business practices ahead of the midterms.
Newly filed lobbying disclosures show that some of the largest health care trade groups in Washington continue to budget historic sums for lobbying. AHIP, which represents health insurers, spent $5.3 million in the first three months of 2026, the most for any quarter on record.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the lobby of branded drug makers, spent $12.2 million, the second-highest quarter on record for the trade association after the first quarter last year. The American Medical Association, which represents doctors, spent nearly $8 million, its second-highest quarter in the last decade.
Individual companies have also stepped up. US drugmakers Eli Lilly, Gilead and Regeneron recorded their highest quarterly spending on lobbying last quarter. Health insurer Humana, meanwhile, reported its highest lobbying spending on record for that period: $2.6 million.
The record spending came as President Donald Trump ordered Congress to turn his first-year agenda on health care into law. In a sweeping directive announced in January, he asked lawmakers to codify their drug pricing deals, send money directly to Americans for health insurance and require more price transparency from insurers. Meanwhile, the companies are urging Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again movement continue to defend themselves from attacks questioning the safety of ultraprocessed food and drugs.
Susan Zook, founder of Mason Street Consulting, a health care and technology-focused lobbying shop, expects the high level of activity to continue.
“I don’t think there will be any reduction in this by the end of this administration. That’s not (Trump’s) style,” said Zook, who previously served as a health care policy adviser. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who is now chairman of the powerful Finance Committee.
The White House and Republican lawmakers are also increasing scrutiny of health care companies over the high cost of care in an effort to blunt Democrats’ attacks on affordability","Add":{"Target": :"New","Property":(),"url": :"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/16/cabinet-hearings-populism-00877139","_Identification": :"0000019d-b74d-d4dc-a9fd-f7dfd8860001","_Type": :"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_Identification": :"0000019d-b74d-d4dc-a9fd-f7dfd8860002","_Type": :"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Blunt Democrats’ attacks on affordability in the midterm elections, which will determine the extent of Trump’s power in his final years in office. Republican lawmakers have held several hearings with health care officials in recent weeks, and on Tuesday Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz announced nationwide action.","Add":{"Target": :"New","Property":(),"url": :"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/21/oz-medicaid-fraud-plan-politico-summit-00883279","_Identification": :"0000019d-b74d-d4dc-a9fd-f7dfd8860003","_Type": :"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_Identification": :"0000019d-b74d-d4dc-a9fd-f7dfd8860004","_Type": :"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>nationwide action On Medicaid fraud at Politico’s health care summit.
The high lobbying spending by health care companies in the first quarter follows a record year for lobbying by the sector, where lobbyists’ efforts largely revolved around Trump’s nearly $1 trillion Medicaid cut. One Big Beautiful Bill Act","Add":{"Target": :"New","Property":(),"url": :"https://legislation.politicopro.com/bill/US_119_HR_1","_Identification": :"0000019d-b74d-d4dc-a9fd-f7dfd8860005","_Type": :"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_Identification": :"0000019d-b74d-d4dc-a9fd-f7dfd8860006","_Type": :"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the end of increased Obamacare subsidies.
AHIP spokesman Chris Bond said in a statement that the group “will continue to advocate for consumer-focused solutions to make health care more affordable for Americans.”
Health care companies are preparing for the possibility of a second reconciliation package, where lawmakers could reconsider cutting health care spending to fund top agenda items or help pay for the war in Iran.
At Politico’s summit on Tuesday, senior White House adviser Kelly Means criticized K Street for blocking progress on Trump’s agenda. “This city was built very hard for change,” he said. “There are a lot of incentives, a lot of jobs, and a lot of money tied up if change doesn’t happen.”
Means also attacked PhRMA Chief Executive Steve Uble, who previously spoke out against Trump’s drug pricing policy, known as most favored nation treatment because it would tie the U.S. price to the lowest cost abroad. So far, 16 drugmakers have struck deals with the White House to lower prices on some drugs in exchange for tariff relief.
Trump’s interference in the pharmaceutical industry’s pricing practices marks a sharp departure for the Republican Party, long seen as a defender of business and free markets.
“It’s quite unusual where you have a Republican administration launching a full-on assault on the pharmaceutical industry, and in a way that would overturn their entire business model,” said one health care lobbyist, granting anonymity to speak candidly.
Nevertheless, the health care industry has won important policy victories. Earlier this year, Trump signature in law","Add":{"Target": :"New","Property":(),"url": :"https://legislation.politicopro.com/bill/US_119_HR_7148","_Identification": :"0000019d-b74d-d4dc-a9fd-f7dfd8860007","_Type": :"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_Identification": :"0000019d-b74d-d4dc-a9fd-f7dfd8860008","_Type": :"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>signed into law Overhauling the pricing practices of pharmacy benefit managers. PBMs are middlemen who negotiate prices between insurers and drug manufacturers. PhRMA has tried for years to crack down on PBMs.
Oz’s agency also decided this month to increase payments to privately run Medicare Advantage plans by 2.48 percent next year, up from the proposed 0.09 percent.
Health care companies are reporting solid results in preliminary first-quarter earnings reports. On Tuesday, UnitedHealth, the largest US health insurer, raised its profit expectations for this year after a tough 2025 that resulted in the company missing its first earnings estimate in more than a decade. Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson also reported strong first-quarter results, with sales up nearly 10 percent year over year.
Top lobbying shops for pharmaceutical companies include Todd Strategy Group, BGR Group, and Tarplin, Downs & Young. The top shops for insurers were Mehlman Consulting, Continental Strategy and ALB Solutions.
All claim to be well-connected officials.
Dan Todd, the former health counsel for Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee, leads the Todd Strategy Group, while Remy Brim and Brent Del Monte lead BGR’s health and life sciences practice. Brim was a senior Food and Drug Administration policy adviser for Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Monte was formerly an FDA counsel for Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Tarplin, Downs & Young was founded by Linda Tarplin, a former HHS official under President George H.W. Bush, as well as Raissa Downs and Jennifer Young, a former HHS official under President George W. Bush.
Mehlman Consulting was founded by former George W. Bush appointee Bruce Mehlman. Continental Strategies is led by Carlos Trujillo, who previously served in the Trump administration, and ALB Solutions is led by Adam Bucklew, who was deputy health policy director for Republicans on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
