CORRUPTION IS LITERALLY KILLING US
How our broken system hurts our health.
THE CORE ISSUE
Pennsylvanians are losing access to vital healthcare as hospitals shut down, merge, or gut their services. These closures and consolidations are driven by powerful healthcare corporations and lobbyists who buy influence in Harrisburg to prioritize profit over public health.
FOLLOW THE MONEY
Healthcare is the largest lobbying sector in both Pennsylvania and the nation
In 2022, nearly $30 million was spent on direct healthcare lobbying, about $11 million was spent on Medicare and Medicaid, and over $13 million was spent on insurance lobbying. Together, that’s more than the total lobbying spending on energy, the state budget, and education combined. How the &%$! do we end up sicker despite the most expensive healthcare? Government corruption.
Independence Blue Cross (IBX) was Pennsylvania’s top lobbying spender in 2022, pouring $3.22 million into influencing legislators.
In 2024, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) spent $1.1 million lobbying the state. HAP includes major healthcare players like UPMC, a hospital giant notorious for closing down hospitals.
Healthcare lobbyists pay politicians for tax breaks and deregulation
Many members of the PA legislature and their staff abuse public office by treating it as a launching pad for their next high-paying job…especially in the private healthcare industry.
A shocking example of this? Former Governor Tom Wolf’s Health Secretary Alison Beam resigned to become a top lobbyist for UPMC.
Our lawmakers do the bidding for healthcare giants because they get hired by them later
In 2024, the HAP opposed HB 2334 which would have required more oversight and scrutinization of predatory hospital policies, like mergers.
UPMC is also a major offender in hospital mergers and shut-downs. Recent analysis reveals that 90% of hospital closures in PA are preceded by a buyout, showing us that lobbying by the UPMC, HAP, and other special interests are directly resulting in poor healthcare access for Pennsylvanians.
So what’s the political payoff?
If we want a government that works for us, not just corporate interests, it's time to demand change:
Ban gifts to lawmakers from lobbyists and billionaires. Pennsylvania is 1 of 3 states without one of these commonsense laws.
Set real limits on campaign contributions to stop people from buying favorable policies. Our legislators should work for us, not just the highest bidder.
If our politicians simply taxed and regulated industries like skill games, they could pay for publicly-funded elections and never have to rely on corporate support to win their seats again.