Galen Institute

Galen Institute is a right-wing 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 1995 by Grace-Marie Turner. Galen is an associate member of the State Policy Network (SPN), which featured the Galen Institute's work on health policy reform in their May/June 2016 Associate Member Updates.

The group's website lists as its core beliefs:

• "Consumers and their physicians should have authority and responsibility over health care decisions"
• "The vibrant free market will encourage research and innovation and provide better access to new medical technologies"
• "A market that supports innovation will lead to lower costs, expanded choice, and increased access to better medical care"

State Policy Network

SPN is a web of right-wing “think tanks” and tax-exempt organizations in 48 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. As of June 2024, SPN's membership totals 167. Today's SPN is the tip of the spear of far-right, nationally funded policy agenda in the states that undergirds extremists in the Republican Party. SPN Executive Director Tracie Sharp told the Wall Street Journal in 2017 that the revenue of the combined groups was some $80 million, but a 2022 analysis of SPN's main members IRS filings by the Center for Media and Democracy shows that the combined revenue is over $152 million. Although SPN's member organizations claim to be nonpartisan and independent, the Center for Media and Democracy's in-depth investigation, "EXPOSED: The State Policy Network -- The Powerful Right-Wing Network Helping to Hijack State Politics and Government," reveals that SPN and its member think tanks are major drivers of the right-wing, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)-backed corporate agenda in state houses nationwide, with deep ties to the Koch brothers and the national right-wing network of funders.

In response to CMD's report, SPN Executive Director Tracie Sharp told national and statehouse reporters that SPN affiliates are "fiercely independent." Later the same week, however, The New Yorker's Jane Mayer caught Sharp in a contradiction. In her article, "Is IKEA the New Model for the Conservative Movement?," the Pulitzer-nominated reporter revealed that, in a recent meeting behind closed doors with the heads of SPN affiliates around the country, Sharp "compared the organization’s model to that of the giant global chain IKEA." She reportedly said that SPN "would provide 'the raw materials,' along with the 'services' needed to assemble the products. Rather than acting like passive customers who buy finished products, she wanted each state group to show the enterprise and creativity needed to assemble the parts in their home states. 'Pick what you need,' she said, 'and customize it for what works best for you.'" Not only that, but Sharp "also acknowledged privately to the members that the organization's often anonymous donors frequently shape the agenda. 'The grants are driven by donor intent,' she told the gathered think-tank heads. She added that, often, 'the donors have a very specific idea of what they want to happen.'"

A set of coordinated fundraising proposals obtained and released by The Guardian in early December 2013 confirm many of these SPN members' intent to change state laws and policies, referring to "advancing model legislation" and "candidate briefings." These activities "arguably cross the line into lobbying," The Guardian notes.

News

On May 20, 2015, Grace-Marie Turner, President of the Galen Institute, testified before the Ways and Means Committee's Hearing on Examining the Use of Administrative Actions in the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Turner's prepared remarks can be read here The full Hearing record can be read here.

On March 03, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments for the King v. Burwell case, which "was a challenge to a key component of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), a landmark law dedicated to achieving widespread, affordable health care." The Galen Institute filed a brief as amici curiae on behalf of the petitioners. The brief submitted by the Galen Institute in support of David King, et al. can be read here

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

Grace-Marie Turner is slated to speak at ALEC's 2017 annual conference. Turner gave a presentation titled, "The Medicare Drug Discount Card: A public-private partnership" at the 2004 ALEC annual meeting, and she is featured on the ALEC website.

See SPN Ties to ALEC for more.

About ALEC

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our ExposedbyCMD.org site.

Ties to the Bradley Foundation

The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation features the Galen Institute's work in several of their monthly ON-Lion Newsletters:

• "Poll from Galen Institute and Center Forward finds wide agreement among voters on key health-care agenda"
• "Obamacare's diversion of $3.5 million from taxpayers to health insurers is illegal, according to memo for Galen Institute"
• "As Obamacare turns six, administration is usurping Congress to try to rescue a broken law, according to Galen Institute's Grace-Marie Turner"
• "For Room to Grow Series, Galen Institute's Grace-Marie Turner outlines better, consumer-centered approach to health care"
• "Galen Institute updates lists changes to Obamacare, now at 46"
• "Galen Institute paper touts Real World Data and its promise for medicine and research"
• "Galen Institute's Grace-Marie Turner counts 46 new IRS powers to enforce ObamaCare"
• "Galen Institute paper offers examples of market-based health-care options for states"
• "ObamaCare will impose new burdens on consumers, businesses, Galen's Grace-Marie Turner warns"
• "Not reforming Medicare is not an option, Galen Institute's Grace-Marie Turner says"
• "Galen Institute looks beyond Supreme Court decision to uphold ObamaCare"
• "Galen Institute paper overviews radical restructuring of health-insurance market"
• "Galen Institute releases list of recommended "do's and don'ts" for Super Committee"
• "Galen Institute releases paper on ObamaCare's effects on U.S.'s entitlement and budget crises"

Most of the aforementioned articles end with the following statement from the Bradley Foundation, "The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation in Milwaukee substantially supports the Galen Institute"

Bradley Files

In 2017, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), publishers of SourceWatch, launched a series of articles on the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, exposing the inner-workings of one of America's largest right-wing foundations. 56,000 previously undisclosed documents laid bare the Bradley Foundation's highly politicized agenda. CMD detailed Bradley's efforts to map and measure right wing infrastructure nationwide, including by dismantling and defunding unions to impact state elections; bankrolling discredited spin doctor Richard Berman and his many front groups; and more. Find the series here at ExposedbyCMD.org.

Publications

The Galen Institute publishes semiannual Health Policy Activity Reports and Galen Guides (reference cards about ObamaCare).

Funding

Top Donors:

• DonorsTrust - $125,000 (2014); $1,000 (2014); $1,000 (2012); $20,000 (2012)
• Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation - $75,000 (2013); $75,000 (2013); $62,500 (2012);$62,500 (2012)
• Sarah Scaife Foundation - $35,000 (2012)
• Searle Freedom Trust - $75,000 (2012); $100,000 (2009)
• Randolph Foundation - $100,000 (2012); $100,000 (2010)
• Donors Capital Fund - $240,000 (2009)

Grants: DonorsTrust lists the Galen Institute among its most recent grant recipients.

Core Financials

2015

• Total Revenue: $1,062,904
• Total Expenses: $830,763
• Net Assets: $1,424,305

2014

• Total Revenue: $794,575
• Total Functional Expenses: $777,116
• Net Income: $17,459

2013

• Total Revenue: $646,295
• Total Expenses: $611,657
• Net Assets: $1,174,705

2012

• Total Revenue: $881,701
• Total Expenses: $834,557
• Net Assets: $1,140,067

2011

• Total Revenue: $874,886
• Total Expenses: $881,727
• Net Assets: $1,092,923

According to Galen's 2005 report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS form 990), the organization had $695,022 in income and $607,615 in expenses that year. Turner's compensation for an estimated 60 hours per week of work at Galen was $180,000.

Personnel

From their website:

• Grace-Marie Turner - President
• Doug Badger - Senior Fellow
• Kara Jones - Editor, ObamaCareWatch

Former Personnel

• Sewell Hinton Dixon, M.D. - Trustee (Galen) and President, The Dixon Group, Ltd.
• Thomas Campbell Jackson, MPH - Secretary and Treasurer (Galen) and Independent Consultant
• Cleta Mitchell, Esq. - Vice Chairman (Galen) and Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP

From their 2005 IRS report:

• Elizabeth Lamirand - Director of Programs
• Tara Persico - Director of Research

Officers and Trustees

From their website:

• Grace-Marie Turner - Founder, President and Trustee, Galen Institute, Inc.
• John S. Hoff, Esq. - Secretary, Galen Institute
• Thomas Campbell Jackson, MPH, CEBS - Treasurer, Galen Institute, Inc.

Contact info

Employer Identification Number (EIN): 54-1770524

Galen Institute
P.O. Box 320010
Alexandria, Virginia 22320
Phone: 703-299-8900
Fax: 703-299-0721
Email: galen@galen.org
Website: http://www.galen.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalenInstitute/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/galeninstitute

SourceWatch resources

• State Policy Network