HEALTH CARE IN THE SHADOWS OF CORPORATE U.S.A.

Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) is a leading recipient of campaign contributions from the hospitals, insurers and other medical interest groups hoping to shape health-care legislation. (By Melina Mara -- The Washington Post)

As liberal protesters marched outside, Sen. Max Baucus sat down inside a San Francisco mansion for a dinner of chicken cordon bleu and a discussion of landmark health-care legislation under consideration by his Senate Finance Committee.

At the table on May 26 were about 20 donors willing to fork over $10,000 or more to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, including executives of major insurance companies, hospitals and other health-care firms.

"Most people there had an agenda; they wanted the ear of a senator, and they got it," said Aaron Roland, a San Francisco health-care activist who paid half price to attend the gathering. "Money gets you in the door. The only thing the other side can do is march around and protest outside."

As his committee has taken center stage in the battle over health-care reform, Chairman Baucus (D-Mont.) has emerged as a leading recipient of Senate campaign contributions from the hospitals, insurers and other medical interest groups hoping to shape the legislation to their advantage. Health-related companies and their employees gave Baucus's political committees nearly $1.5 million in 2007 and 2008, when he began holding hearings and making preparations for this year's reform debate.

Top health executives and lobbyists have continued to flock to the senator's often extravagant fundraising events in recent months. During a Senate break in late June, for example, Baucus held his 10th annual fly-fishing and golfing weekend in Big Sky, Mont., for a minimum donation of $2,500. Later this month comes "Camp Baucus," a "trip for the whole family" that adds horseback riding and hiking to the list of activities.

To avoid any appearance of favoritism, his aides say, Baucus quietly began refusing contributions from health-care political action committees after June 1. But the policy does not apply to lobbyists or corporate executives, who continued to make donations, disclosure records show.

Baucus declined requests to comment for this article. Spokesman Tyler Matsdorf said the senator "is only driven by one thing: what is right for Montana and the country. And he will continue his open process of working together with the president, his colleagues in Congress, and groups and individuals from across the nation to get this legislation passed."

“To get this legislation passed”, but what legislation? Is the legislation loaded with Corporate goodies as it has been for the past eight years or is it good for the people? Remember it was Corporate America that got us into this Economic mess in the first place. Can we trust Corporate America to look out for us? Will we have to call India to make our next Doctor appointment or will we have to learn Chinese to read our prescription bottle? If the last eight years taught us anything it should have taught us not to depend on Wall Street or Corporate America to do the Right thing. It is the bottom line all the way for those folks. We are on the outside looking in with no options.

Cece Dougherty said...

It gets very disturbing when we read something like this.We need a clean bill of health, literally. No special interests should be tolerated. Guess I'm dreaming.

JULY 23, 2009 9:59 PM