Why It Matters

Zimmer Biomet, a global medical technology firm, faces simultaneous financial headwinds from tariffs and Medicare reimbursement cuts. Reuters reported that the company lowered its 2025 profit forecast due to tariff impacts, with its CFO warning that the 2025 impact "should not be used as a run rate for 2026." MedTech Dive reported that Zimmer Biomet expects a $60 million to $80 million hit to operating profit from tariffs in 2025.

Meanwhile, Becker's ASC reported that continued Medicare reimbursement cuts are expected to pressure orthopedic device demand in 2026, with a 2.83 percent Medicare conversion factor reduction in 2025 and a further efficiency adjustment planned for 2026. Both issues have featured prominently in prior Zimmer Biomet lobbying filings, making the absence of any stated agenda in this quarter's report unusual.

By the Numbers

Zimmer Biomet reported $185,000 in in-house lobbying expenditures for Q1 2026, down 2.6 percent from the $190,000 reported in both Q1 2025 and Q2 2025. The company typically files two disclosures per quarter, one for in-house operations and one for its external lobbying firm, the McManus Group, which reported $50,000 per quarter throughout 2025. No McManus Group filing for Q1 2026 has appeared in congressional records.

The three in-house lobbyists listed on the filing, namely Heather Ashby, Gabriella Ippolito, and Blake McDonald, are the same team that has appeared on every Zimmer Biomet in-house disclosure in the past year. Ippolito also lobbies for Blood Cancer United on cancer research funding; McDonald has worked for Advanced Micro Devices on CHIPS Act implementation and AI policy. Ashby's disclosed work appears concentrated exclusively on Zimmer Biomet matters.

The Agenda

The first quarter 2026 filing lists no specific issues lobbied and cites no legislation. Based on prior quarters, Zimmer Biomet's in-house team has consistently focused on issues such as Medicare reimbursement and payment policy; artificial intelligence and machine learning regulation in medical devices; trade policy and tariffs; EPA regulations on ethylene oxide sterilization and PFAS; FDA breakthrough device designation pathways; and tax policy.

The McManus Group has tracked a narrower subset, including Medicare device reimbursement, AI approval in medical devices, and corporate tax policy. Its filing referenced specific legislation including the S.1776 Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act and the S.1717 Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2025. The current filing provides no confirmation of which areas were addressed this quarter.

Broader Context

MedTech Dive reported that Zimmer Biomet's CFO told investors that the company expected a $60 million to $80 million impact to operating profit from tariffs in 2025, though the company later raised its annual forecast on lower-than-expected tariff impacts. The CFO's warning that 2025 figures should not be used as a 2026 baseline signals continued uncertainty.

In October 2025, Ortho Spine News reported that the FDA granted Zimmer Biomet a Breakthrough Device Designation for the world's first iodine-treated total hip replacement system. A February 2025 social media post from a Republican House member described a visit to Zimmer Biomet's Warsaw, Indiana facility, noting conversations about R&D tax credit enhancements.

The Bottom Line

Zimmer Biomet is a consistent presence in congressional lobbying records, spending roughly $1.1 million annually across in-house and external operations. The first quarter 2026 filing maintains that spending pace, but the absence of any stated agenda makes it impossible to assess what the company's lobbyists focused on this quarter. Prior disclosures suggest durable priorities, such as Medicare reimbursement, AI regulation, trade, and tax policy, remain active issues in the current policy environment.