Medtronic has partnered with former 'MythBusters' star Adam Savage to explore the science of longevity and healthy lifestyles. The initiative highlights Medtronic's innovations in AI-driven healthcare monitoring, robotic-assisted surgeries, and advanced pacemakers aimed at enhancing quality of life.

An OpenSecrets profile reveals that Medtronic spent $4.29 million on lobbying in 2024, with a significant portion of its lobbyists coming from government positions. This revolving door practice raises concerns about corporate influence and potential conflicts of interest in shaping public policy.

Medtronic’s political contribution policy, published on Dec 31, 2024, mandates that all corporate political contributions undergo review by a three‐member Corporate Political Fund Committee—including the CFO, General Counsel, and Vice President of Government Affairs—with annual oversight by the Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. This structured approach is intended to ensure that contributions are made in line with clearly defined guidelines and legal standards.

A former Medtronic sales representative, Leanne Houston, has exposed that Medtronic used kickbacks to secure exclusive hospital contracts, prioritizing profit over patient safety. The revelations also allege that the company continued to market its GIA 80 surgical stapler despite malfunctions resulting in patient injuries and deaths.

Medtronic published a statement on its website committing to a work environment free from forced labor, human trafficking, slavery, and all forms of coercive labor practices throughout its organization and supply chain.

Medtronic disclosed its adherence to the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, outlining measures to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from its supplier networks as part of its commitment to ethical business practices and global human rights standards.

A court ruling on August 15, 2023, allowed most allegations in a whistleblower lawsuit to proceed. The claims allege that Medtronic engaged in unethical practices by incentivizing physicians to use its peripheral artery disease devices unnecessarily—allegedly through kickbacks and financial inducements that contributed to improper government billing.

Medtronic has established a comprehensive human rights due diligence program that includes annual and triennial risk assessments of its internal and commercial facilities. The program reviews various human rights risks such as child labor, forced labor, fair treatment, freedom of association, health and safety, and remuneration. Moreover, the inclusion of an anonymous 'Voice Your Concern' hotline for reporting issues further supports the company's commitment to addressing human rights complaints.

Medtronic Inc’s political action committee raised $431,185 during the 2019-2020 election cycle, as reported by OpenSecrets. The report provides transparency into the company’s political contributions without any explicit evidence of funding authoritarian or far‐right activities.

A whistleblower and multiple surgeons have accused Medtronic of engaging in unethical business practices, including covering up device malfunctions, providing kickbacks to force hospital conversion, and compromising patient safety. The allegations detail incidents from 2018 where faulty surgical staplers led to patient injuries, and internal communications revealed strategies aimed at locking out competition through economic coercion.