Pfizer's Q4 2017 Lobby Spend Nearly Doubled Merck's... At $2.73 Million Vs. $1.35 Million

Not terribly surprising, as Pfizer has certainly lobbied long and hard -- for the tax package that cleared both chambers at year end.

I'll focus on where Merck spent most of its efforts, below:

. . . .H.R. 1 (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act). . . .

Medicare Part D (general education, no specific bill); LIS Co-Pays (general education, no specific bill); Independent Payment Advisory Board (general education, no specific bill), Medicare Part B (general education); Medicaid (no specific bill); Antibiotics/stewardship; Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment proposed rule (CMS); Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) demonstration. . . .

340B (no specific bill), Hepatitis C (general education; no specific bill), Vaccine policies (general education; first dollar coverage; preventative services), antimicrobial resistance (general education), biosimilars (no specific bill), cost and value of medicines (no specific bill), women's health (general education), Affordable Care Act, general pharmaceutical issues (transparency, formulary design, prescription drug coverage), Implementation of P.L.114-255 - 21st Century Cures Act; PAHPA (Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act). . . .

NAFTA; KORUS and Budget Appropriations. . . .

Now you know -- recovering enough to ride the train in for a full day, today. Smile.

नमस्ते