The Boston Globe reported on March 27 that the Massachusetts healthcare industry, one of the largest economic sectors in the state, doled out more than $11.6 million on lobbying. And during the five years since the state passed its landmark health care overhaul, from 2007 to 2011, the total amount spent on lobbying by the industry topped $51.6 million, according to a review of state records by The Associated Press. The flood of health care lobbying comes as lawmakers debate whether to create systems designed to reward healthcare providers for keeping patients healthy rather than paying them piecemeal for treating illnesses.
