Medicare's Revolving Door
The courting of government officials by the private sector following passage of the $530 billion Medicare bill last November has been remarkable even by Washington standards. Calls for a congressional ethics investigation may have persuaded Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.), who led the fight to keep drug-price controls out of the bill, not to accept a $2.5 million job as the top lobbyist for the pharmaceutical trade group PhRMA. But others in government have had no such qualms. Medicare boss Thomas Scully was the subject of a bidding war among lobbying firms and even received an ethics waiver to talk to potential employers while the reform bill was being crafted. Scully told the lobbying trade magazine Influence that he had a "totally clear conscience" about his job search. He ultimately signed up with the firm of Alston & Bird, where his colleagues include at least one familiar face—Colin Roskey, one of the lead Senate negotiators on the Medicare bill. But Roskey is not limiting his expertise to the firm's clients: For $229, you too can buy his audiotape, "Medicare Reform Act: What You Need to Know to Survive and Thrive." Here, a survey of former health policymakers now serving industry interests.
NAME
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NOW IN THE LOBBYING BUSINESS AS |
GLOWING PRESS RELEASE/PUBLICITY |
REVOLVING DOOR HISTORY |
THOMAS SCULLY
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Senior counsel, Alston & Bird. The firm lobbied for the Medicare bill on behalf of Johnson & Johnson, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, and Vitas Health Corp. |
"Tom Scully was a leading architect of a fundamental restructuring in the way our nation pays for health care services and has arguably done as much as anyone to modernize the system and bring it into the 21st century." |
FORMERLY CEO of and lobbyist for the Federation of American Hospitals BEFORE THAT Health care lobbyist at Patton Boggs BEFORE THAT Advised President George H.W. Bush on Medicare payment reform |
COLIN ROSKEY
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Counsel, Alston & Bird, whose clients also include Health South, WebMD, the Georgia Hospital Association, and the Arthritis Foundation |
Roskey "knows the intricacies of the new Medicare model inside and out. He will help us better understand and implement the nuances of this very complicated legislation and, in doing so, better serve our clients." |
FORMERLY Lobbyist on Medicare reimbursement issues for the law firm of Mintz Levin |
THOMAS GRISSOM
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Vice president for government affairs at Boston Scientific, a medical supply company |
"His comprehensive knowledge and understanding of public policies affecting aging, health care delivery, reimbursement systems, and government regulation will be invaluable in his new position." |
FORMERLY Lobbyist for nursing home company Kindred Healthcare |
SARAH WALTER
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Counsel, Venn Strategies, which lobbied for Medicare reform on behalf of Eli Lilly |
"Sarah's health care policy expertise will provide extraordinary value to our current client base while dramatically expanding our reach within the health care community." |
This is Walter's first time through the revolving door. |
JOHN MCMANUS
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Head of own health care consulting firm, the McManus Group |
"As labyrinthine as that law is," the National Journal wrote, "McManus—who as the lead staff negotiator actually understands what it says—soon should be swamped with clients." |
FORMERLY Senior associate and lobbyist at Eli Lilly BEFORE THAT Health care analyst in the Maryland House of Delegates, where he worked on insurance reform |
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