ABSTRACT
Money has become the oxygen of the American political system. Corporations, businesses, and trade and professional associations dominate the US interest group universe and they usually do not seek the same policies as average citizens do. That is why most bills advocated by citizens fail, but the bills supported by business and interest groups pass. In this sense, the US health care system is a customary playground for politicians and interest groups. Many powerful interest groups in the industry – hospitals/hospital networks, pharmaceuticals/medical device makers, physicians/medical professionals, and private health insurers – have ‘captured’ the health policy legislation process via their spending on lobbying and political contributions, amounting to legalization of corrupt practices. The US health care industry employs the largest number of lobbyists and spend the most amount on lobbying among all the 13 US industrial sectors. The US health care system continues to perform poorly because of its capture by these powerful interest groups and the highly polarized and dysfunctional American political system that remains at the mercy of large political donations from wealthy and powerful business and interest groups.
