A rich Republican businessman is an unlikely champion for lower hospital prices — but he’s winning the fight

Al Hubbard isn’t the typical crusader for lowering health care costs.

Hubbard and his wife golf with Condoleezza Rice. He’s a Harvard Business School buddy of George W. Bush, and the former chairman of Indiana’s Republican Party. He’s also a prolific political donor, generous with the millions he made buying and growing companies in sectors as diverse as specialty chemicals, gluten-free baked goods, and camper van rentals.