WASHINGTON (AP) -- DaVita Inc., which operates kidney dialysis centers, spent $730,000 lobbying the federal government in the second quarter, according to a recent disclosure form.The El Segundo, Calif.-based company lobbied on bills that control how the government pays for kidney dialysis services, according to form filed July 21 with the House clerk's office.
DaVita has a huge stake in policies that affect dialysis reimbursement since the government pays for the care of nearly all 390,000 people in the U.S. on dialysis.
Lawmakers recently passed legislation aimed at changing how the government pays for Amgen Inc.'s anemia drug Epogen, a $2.5 billion product used exclusively in kidney dialysis centers. The biotech drug boosts patients' red blood cell counts, reducing the need for blood transfusions.
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