Why It Matters

The Sjögren's Foundation has terminated its lobbying relationship with Foley Hoag LLP, according to a filing signed on August 7. Sjögren's Foundation Inc. paid Foley Hoag LLP $10,000 in the third quarter of 2026, which was a termination filing.

The termination represents a modest but notable loss for Foley Hoag. The Sjögren's Foundation paid the firm $130,000 in total lobbying fees across its roughly three-year engagement. While not the firm's largest client, the relationship was consistent. The foundation paid $18,000 in the first quarter of 2025, then $30,000 in each subsequent quarter through the fourth quarter of 2025 before the termination filing in third quarter 2026.

For context, Foley Hoag's client roster during the same period included Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., which paid $150,000; the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment and AtriCure Inc., which each paid $90,000; and Physicians for American Healthcare Access, also at $90,000. The Sjögren's Foundation ranked among the firm's mid-tier clients by compensation.

The foundation has not publicly announced a replacement lobbying firm to continue work on its Medicare and Medicaid advocacy.

Broader context

The Sjögren's Foundation hired Foley Hoag to push for Medicare coverage of medically necessary dental services for patients with Sjögren's disease and other autoimmune conditions. The campaign specifically targeted a National Coverage Determination from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

CMS declined the nomination, citing a lack of precedent for previously Medicare-covered services as the reason. The agency did agree that research into the connection between dental treatment and immunosuppressive therapy outcomes should continue.

Meanwhile, Congress introduced two bills in March 2025 aimed at expanding Medicare benefits. The Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2025 was introduced in the House, while the Senate introduced the Medicare Dental, Hearing, and Vision Expansion Act of 2025. Both remain in committee and have not passed.

The political environment shifted significantly during the foundation's engagement with Foley Hoag. In July 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included over $900 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade. That legislation effectively narrowed the window for new Medicare and Medicaid benefits expansion.

The Bottom Line

Eli Greenspan served as the sole registered lobbyist on the Sjögren's Foundation account throughout the engagement. He previously served as a policy adviser to Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and holds an MPH degree from George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

Greenspan remains an active lobbyist and has filed 22 total lobbying disclosures across his career. He has worked for both Foley Hoag and ML Strategies LLC.

According to InfluenceWatch, the firm is identified as a left-leaning operation focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion and environmentalist initiatives. That positioning may prove challenging in the current Republican-controlled political environment.

The foundation's decision to end the engagement suggests a recalibration of its advocacy approach, particularly given the unfavorable shifts in the congressional and budgetary landscape for Medicare expansion initiatives.

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