Boston Scientific spends $480K on lobbying in 4Q

(AP) — Medical device maker Boston Scientific Corp. spent $480,000 in the fourth quarter to lobby the federal government on the health reform effort as well as other health care-related matters.

The Natick, Mass.-based company lobbied on proposals that would charge medical device makers between $2 billion and $3 billion in fees per year to help pay for expanding health care coverage. While industry executives have complained about the fees, Democratic lawmakers say that device companies will benefit from health care reform as more patients are eligible to get their products.

The future of the overhaul is unclear following an unexpected Republican victory for the Massachusetts Senate seat held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy — costing Democrats the 60th vote needed to quickly move bills through that chamber.

The company also lobbied on efforts in Congress to make it easier for patients to sue medical device companies via personal injury lawsuits. In the year-ago period, Boston Scientific spent $390,000 on lobbying efforts.

Boston Scientific also lobbied on a bill that would require drug and medical device manufacturers to disclose gifts given to physicians by their salespeople. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Herb Kohl, D-Wis., is aimed at curbing corporate influence over medicine.

Boston Scientific, which makes heart-pacing devices and surgical implants, also lobbied on bills that would task the federal government with comparing the effectiveness of different drugs, devices and medical procedures. The effort aims to cut wasteful spending on ineffective treatments.

The medical device industry and others have maintained that any government assessments should not be used to deny coverage from expensive medical technology.

Company representatives also lobbied on the system used for approving certain medical devices. For over 30 years the Food and Drug Administration has granted speedy approval to devices that are similar to products already on the market. This so-called 510(k) process is cheaper and faster than the process for first-of-a-kind devices, which must go through rigorous medical testing.

Some lawmakers and consumer advocates complain that the 510(k) system has been abused, allowing high-risk devices onto the market without proper review.

Along with Congress, the company lobbied the Government Accountability Office, the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other agencies in the fourth-quarter period, according to a form filed Jan. 12 with the House clerk's office.