Why It Matters

Boston Children's Hospital is fighting to preserve federal funding streams that keep its operations intact. The hospital faces potential losses exceeding $100 million in National Institutes of Health funding and stands to lose Medicaid reimbursement if Congress proceeds with proposed cuts to the program. Clinical trials have already halted mid-treatment for enrolled patients. The hospital's lobbying priorities center on protecting Medicaid, which covers more than half of children's hospital patients nationally, and defending funding for pediatric physician training through the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program.

By the Numbers

Boston Children's Hospital spent $180,000 on in-house lobbying in the second quarter of 2026, its largest in-house quarterly total in the two filings currently on record. The hospital also paid Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP $30,000 for lobbying during the same quarter, bringing its combined quarter two of 2026 spending to $210,000. The hospital has spent $940,000 on lobbying over the past four quarters and currently employs six active lobbyists, three in-house and three through Faegre Drinker.

Broader Context

Congress is actively considering legislation that directly threatens the hospital's financial model and mission. The Trump administration's proposed fiscal 2026 budget called for eliminating the CHGME program, which funds pediatric physician training nationwide. Meanwhile, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's (H.R. 1) Medicaid cuts have already begun rippling through the healthcare system, with analyses suggesting the legislation could lead to closures of more than 400 hospitals nationwide. Massachusetts alone faces major revenue shortfalls from the tax package, and the state's safety net could absorb 34,000 new patients after January 1.

The hospital has also raised concerns about H.R. 1's broader impact on children and pediatric providers, particularly provisions that penalize Medicaid expansion states covering certain noncitizens.

The Bottom Line

Boston Children's Hospital is ramping up federal advocacy as multiple policy threats converge on pediatric healthcare funding. The hospital's lobbying agenda reflects an organization defending its core revenue sources and the broader children's health system against significant federal retrenchment.

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