John Sununu’s Health Industry Connections in Spotlight Amid Senate Campaign
Former Senator John Sununu, who represented New Hampshire from 2003 to 2009, is once again vying for a seat in the U.S. Senate. However, his connections to the health insurance industry are drawing attention as healthcare costs become a central issue in the race.
After his previous term in the Senate, Sununu joined Akin Gump, a prominent lobbying firm, where he spent nine years advising clients in the financial sector. During this period, Akin Gump also represented major health insurers such as Liberty Mutual and Alameda Health Alliance.
A ProPublica report from 2023 highlighted Akin Gump’s involvement with AHIP, a trade group representing health insurers. The firm reportedly lobbied against an Obama-era rule that would have required insurers to disclose claim denial rates. The rule was ultimately withdrawn under the Trump administration.
UnitedHealth Group, the world’s largest healthcare company by revenue, was another significant client of Akin Gump during Sununu’s tenure. The firm assisted UnitedHealth Group in executing mergers and acquisitions, which included three health plan acquisitions valued at approximately $4 billion.
Notably, a congressional investigation found that UnitedHealth Group, among other insurers, denied coverage to 651,000 individuals over a two-year span. In recent years, the company faced allegations of excessive claim denials attributed to an AI model with a 90% error rate.
Sununu’s legislative history reflects support for measures favorable to the health insurance sector. In a 2017 CNBC op-ed, he endorsed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which reduced the corporate tax rate to 21% and is projected to increase the national deficit by $1.5 trillion by 2034. UnitedHealth Group reported a $1.2 billion non-cash revaluation benefit from the law.
Sununu also backed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) to maintain the 21% corporate tax rate permanently, offset by a $1 trillion Medicaid cut, potentially impacting up to 29,000 New Hampshire residents.
Earlier in his career, Sununu co-sponsored legislation in 2008 that sought to allow insurers to deny coverage for preexisting conditions.
In the current race, Sununu faces Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. A recent New York Times/Siena University poll indicates Pappas is leading by five points.
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