The American Hospital Association spent $19.7 million on lobbying efforts in 2007, up from $17.4 million in 2006, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan research group. The increased spending last year propelled the AHA into fifth place among spenders on political activities. The association was the eighth biggest spender on lobbying activities in 2006.

The majority of its 2007 spending, nearly $14.6 million, was spent on lobbying efforts performed by its own staff, the association reported. Another $1.8 million was spent with 10 firms lobbying on the association’s behalf. The Bockorny Group, earned $400,000 last year from the AHA, the most of any firm. The organization paid The Nickles Group, and Ricchetti, Inc. $240,000 each, according to the Center. 

The AHA represents more than 5,000 hospitals and more than one third of them are losing money as the industry’s bad debt expenses reach record levels.  Most of the AHA’s lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill have focused on blocking reductions in Medicare and Medicaid payments. It also is pressing Congress for job programs to train nurses.

Meanwhile, the AHA’s subsidiary hospital associations spent more than $3.3 million to lobby local lawmakers. The New York, Missouri and Florida hospital associations were the top three spenders at the state level. The Greater New York Hospital Association spent $1.1 million on lobbying, while the Missouri Hospital Association spent $598,337. The Florida Hospital Association, which is battling proposed changes to the state’s certificate of need rules that would impact competition among hospitals, spent $540,000 on lobbying.

According the center, the AHA has spent $143.9 million on lobbying since 1998, ranking it as the fourth biggest spender among all the organizations involved in lobbying activities. The top lobbying spender in that time was the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, doling out nearly $370 million to tell its tale to legislators.