$400,000,000 Spent on Influencing Health Care NOW

Health care lobbying: Political power machineLobbying. TV ads. Political donations. Nearly $400 million has already been spent to influence the debate - the most expensive fight ever to hit Congress.By Jennifer Liberto, CNNMoney.com senior writerWASHINGTON (CNNMoney.com) -- The fight over health care overhaul is on track to be the most expensive issue ever to hit the hallways of Congress.The bill for lobbyists, television ads and political donations has topped $375 million -- or enough to pay the entire insurance tab for about 30,000 families a year.The big spenders range from drug companies, hospitals and doctor groups to organizations that advocate for unions, immigrants and retirees.The largest chunk has gone to direct lobbying of lawmakers and other policymakers. In the first half of 2009, the health care industry spent nearly $280 million on lobbyists, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.Another $75 million was spent on television advertising airtime by health care interests, mostly politically left-leaning groups and health industries. And another $23 million has flowed from the health care sector into the campaign war chests of 2010 candidates for federal office, on the heels of some $95 million raised during the 2008 cycle."The health sector is on track in 2009 to spend more on lobbying than it has on any other year in U.S. history -- and by a lot," said Dave Levinthal of the Center for Responsive Politics, which analyzes and collects lobbying and campaign spending figures.