- CVS Health has financed a wave of political advocacy against measures to try to control health care costs and increase access during the pandemic.
- The pharmacy and health insurance giant Aetna donated $5 million to Partnership for America’s Health Care Future, or PAHCF.
- PAHCF is a 501(c)(4) and is therefore not required to disclose its donor information. Despite CVS Health’s seven-figure donation, it is not listed as a coalition member on the group’s website.
Lee Fang from The Intercept writes:
“In a year marked by a coronavirus pandemic that has killed millions, CVS Health financed a wave of political advocacy against measures to control health care costs and increase access.
The health care giant, which owns Aetna health insurance and operates thousands of pharmacies and walk-in clinics around the country, provided $5 million to the Partnership for America’s Health Care Future, or PAHCF.
The seven-figure donation from CVS is the largest known contribution to PAHCF, which was formed in 2018 to lobby and advocate against proposals such as Medicare for All, the public option, and similar reforms that have gained growing support in recent years. PAHCF is a 501(c)(4) and is not required to disclose donor information.
Last year, PAHCF swamped voters in Democratic primary states such as South Carolina with ads urging voters to oppose Medicare for All. In states considering the public option, the group hired local lobbyists and aired advertisements designed to discourage state legislators from voting for the plan. And just before the general election, the group again aired ads attacking the public option.
Neither CVS Health nor PAHCF responded to a request for comment. Despite CVS Health’s donation, the company is not listed as a coalition member of PAHCF on the group’s website…”
See full story here.
Categories: Business, Government, Politics
Economic Left 
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