Federation of American Hospitals
This group represents the 1,100 investor-owned, or for-profit, hospitals that make up about 20 percent of the hospital industry.

What They Want
FAH's top priority for reform legislation is getting as close as possible to universal coverage -- about 95 percent coverage is the target, FAH President Charles Kahn said. "Our focus has been on assuring that all, or as many as possible, of Americans receive health care coverage," he said.

"We understand, at the same time, that... costs need to be held under control and contained," he said.

To help reach that coverage goal, three groups representing hospitals -- FAH plus the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States -- agreed in July to take $155 billion in government reimbursement cuts over the next 10 years, assuming legislation with near universal coverage passes.

Kahn suggested other ways to fund the overhaul that would lead to coverage expansion, like pay for performance.

Deal Breakers
FAH does not see a government-sponsored insurance plan as necessary for reform, but it is open to alternatives: The group has supported "the discussion around a co-op or private-sector-oriented new option," Kahn said.

Kahn added that, based on what he's heard about Senate Finance Committee negotiations, he expects FAH will be able to "fully endorse" legislation. "Our preference is what we understand is being developed in the Senate Finance Committee," he said.

How Much They've Spent
The group spent about $1.8 million lobbying during the first six months of 2009, compared with about $1.1 million for the same period in 2008, according to disclosure forms. Lobbying activities this year included advocating for administrative simplification, the regulation of group purchasing organizations and the penalization of preventable hospital readmissions under Medicare.

During the 2010 election cycle, FAH's PAC has contributed $214,463 to federal candidates and committees, compared with $565,387 in the 2008 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission records. For contributions to candidates this cycle, 71 percent has gone to Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Contribution recipients this cycle have included: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.; House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va.; House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.; House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif.; and the congressional and senatorial campaign committees for both parties.

The group has not spent any money independently on advertisements related to health care reform, but it is part of Americans for Stable Quality Care, a coalition that has funded television advertising, including a $12 million ad buy this month. Other organizations in the coalition are the American Medical Association, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Families USA and the Service Employees International Union.

FAH is, however, encouraging activism from its members. "We have been doing the old-fashioned advocacy with our members directly talking to the representatives and senators in the states during this period," Kahn said.

FAH reported total revenue of $10.1 million in 2008, according to IRS forms.

Key Players
Kahn has served as FAH's president since 2001, and he was previously executive vice president and then president at the Health Insurance Association of America. He has served on the National Quality Forum Board, the Hospital Quality Alliance and the American Health Information Community.

Kahn worked on Capitol Hill as staff director and minority health counsel for the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, senior health policy advisor for Sen. David Durenberger, R-Minn., and health legislation assistant for Sen. Dan Quayle, R-Ind.

As an executive at HIAA, Kahn was involved with health care discussions under the Clinton administration in 1993 and 1994, when he oversaw the "Harry and Louise" advertising campaign that is often credited with helping to defeat President Clinton's reform plan. In 2000, he oversaw another "Harry and Louise" campaign promoting an insurance reform proposal that would have helped uninsured individuals get private coverage.

"Harry and Louise began a dialog with the American people in a sense," Kahn told the New York Times about the ads he worked on in the 1990s. "This was not done to beat health reform. It was done to get the attention of policy makers."

This time around, Kahn participated in the negotiations with the White House and the Senate Finance Committee that led to the $155 billion deal announced in July.

Kahn testified before the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on health care reform this summer. He is a registered lobbyist.

Links
FAH's Health Coverage Passport
House Ways and Means Committee Testimony
HELP Committee Testimony
Americans for Stable Quality Care Ad