UnitedHealth Group Inc., which has operations in Hartford, spent $1 million lobbying the federal government in the second quarter, a total that included $230,000 paid to firms that lobbied for the managed care company on health care reform, according to recent disclosure reports.
Meanwhile, Hartford managed care provider Aetna Inc. spent $631,846 in the second quarter to lobby the government on Medicare and Medicaid, health care reform and other insurance-related issues, reports show.
UnitedHealth, based in Minnetonka, Minn., paid Ogilvy Government Relations; Elmendorf Strategies LLC; and Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock to lobby as Congressional committees worked on legislation to overhaul the nation’s health care system by covering the uninsured and trimming expenses.
UnitedHealth paid Ogilvy $80,000, Elmendorf $90,000 and Fierce $60,000, according to disclosure reports filed last month with the House clerk’s office.
UnitedHealth lobbied on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Health Care Safety Net Act, Medicare Advantage and children’s health insurance, among other topics.
UnitedHealth’s spending total represents a 20 percent drop from the same quarter last year, when it spent nearly $1.3 million.
Aetna paid Avenue Solutions $60,000 in the quarter to lobby on coverage expansions, quality improvements, a government-run health plan and insurance market reforms, among other issues, as Congress debated plans to overhaul the nation’s health care system.
An Aetna spokesman said the $60,000 was included in the insurer’s overall spending total.
Aetna also lobbied on Medicaid drug rebates, government-run negotiations of Medicare drug prices, the COBRA coverage subsidy and medical malpractice liability reform.
Aetna’s second-quarter spending total represents a 29 percent increase from the same quarter last year. (AP)
