For the Government Relations team at Cardinal Health, advocacy extends far beyond legislative sessions. “Advocacy means that we must have consistent engagement with policymakers to ensure they understand not only our business, but the needs of our customers, providers and patients, too,” said Rebecca McGrath, SVP of Government Relations and Public Policy. She and her highly experienced team of legislative experts work every day to ensure Cardinal Health’s voice is heard in state capitals and on Capitol Hill. Throughout the year, they are focused on advancing policies that strengthen the healthcare system, support our customers, and improve outcomes for patients across the country. From shaping legislation to educating policymakers and building coalitions, the team is deeply engaged in advocacy that drives real impact.
McGrath and her team partner closely with senior leaders across the enterprise to ensure that Cardinal Health’s public policy and advocacy efforts are fully aligned with business priorities.
Below, we share highlights of our Government Relations team’s work in 2025.
Increasing patient access to quality and affordable healthcare: The Government Relations team advocates for policies that promote improved payment and reimbursement models, patients’ adherence to prescribed medications, improved patient outcomes, and quality of services and products. They also support policies that expand access to care, including home-based hospital programs and affordable, high-quality healthcare.
Advocating for the critical role healthcare providers play in the healthcare delivery system: The Government Relations team advocates for legislation that supports pharmacist provider status, fair fee reimbursement, and adequate reimbursement to physicians for Medicare services. “One of our key legislative priorities is H.R. 3164, Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacy Services Act, which would expand healthcare access across the nation by allowing pharmacists to test and treat for certain respiratory illnesses,” McGrath said.
Cardinal Health also supports legislation that protects fair payment for physicians and ensures that long-term care pharmacies are properly reimbursed when providing medications under the Inflation Reduction Act.
In multiple states, Cardinal Health publicly supports legislation that would allow pharmacists to expand the services they offer, including immunization authority and the ability to test and treat for illnesses. We support policies enhancing the ability of community health practices and independent pharmacists to provide services, including the use of technology to manage pharmacy operations and improve patient care.
Ensuring drug safety and addressing drug shortages: The team provides substantive background and education to policymakers on the steps wholesale distributors take to alleviate drug shortages when they occur. They work to ensure that policymakers understand when proposed legislation or regulations could unintentionally exacerbate shortages. The team also supports efforts that decrease the likelihood of counterfeit or adulterated drugs entering the U.S. McGrath said, “We share policymakers’ goals of increasing access, affordability and innovation in healthcare. Wholesalers have an important role in helping to mitigate drug shortages. We partner with legislators to educate on our unique role in healthcare to inform legislative proposals and regulations.”
Fostering a resilient supply chain: “Cardinal Health’s role in building a resilient supply chain across the healthcare ecosystem is critical, and we lobby on issues that could impact the entire system,” McGrath said. “That’s why we oppose policies that would impose regulatory and administrative burdens that could upend the supply chain and risk patients accessing medications when they need them.” The team collaborates with stakeholders across the industry to support policies that strengthen a robust and resilient global supply chain, increase the safety of the pharmaceutical supply chain, and limit medical product supply chain disruptions related to regulatory changes. Cardinal Health also advocates for policies that promote a competitive, pro-growth tax code that encourages continued investment in the U.S. and the healthcare supply chain.
Addressing tariffs and trade policy: Cardinal Health works to ensure the U.S. remains competitive in the global market while maintaining robust supply chains and ensuring high quality and safe products for patients. We share the Administration’s goal of increasing access and affordability of medical products. As a global manufacturer and distributor, the company is tracking activity around tariffs closely. “We continue to advocate for policies that support a resilient supply chain and increased reimbursement for domestic product for providers.”
Advancing access to care at home: McGrath and her team support regulatory proposals that promote access to home health supplies, increased reimbursement to home health agencies, and innovation in the home healthcare space. Because Cardinal Health is a supplier of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS), the team advocates for supplier sustainability, and the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries, particularly those in rural and underserved communities, in order to address disparities in access and outcomes.
From monitoring legislation to engaging directly with policymakers, McGrath and her team ensure that Cardinal Health’s perspective is represented wherever healthcare policy is shaped. The Government Relations team’s year-round advocacy on behalf of the company, customers and patients helps protect patient access, strengthens the healthcare supply chain, and empowers customers to deliver high-quality care. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, their commitment to proactive, principled advocacy remains constant.
Editor’s note: McGrath and Jerrica Mathis, VP of Federal Government Relations and Public Policy and a senior leader on McGrath's team, have just been named to The Hill’s Top Lobbyists 2025. According to the publication, based in Washington, D.C., “the lobbyists on this list represent the industry’s savviest, most influential and well-connected advocates across Capitol Hill.” Cardinal Health congratulates McGrath and Mathis for being named Top Lobbyists, and thanks them for their commitment to our company and the customers and patients we serve.