Repeal of Obamacare medical device tax welcomed by Lehigh Valley manufacturers – By Laura Olson (The Morning Call) / Dec 23 2019
Medical-device manufacturers in the Lehigh Valley and across the country got an early holiday gift when Congress approved its wide-ranging government spending bill.
Among the provisions tucked into that legislation was the repeal of three health care taxes created to help pay for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, including a 2.3% tax on sales of medical devices, affecting items from pacemakers to artificial joints to tongue depressors.
The Lehigh Valley is home to more than a dozen smaller manufacturers producing those devices, as well as larger companies like B. Braun Medical, Olympus and OraSure Technologies.
Repealing the tax has been a priority for device-makers and lawmakers representing states that produce those medical items. Both of Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators, Democrat Bob Casey and Republican Pat Toomey, have supported undoing that tax.
“When Obamacare’s medical device tax went into effect, patients paid higher prices, innovation suffered, and thousands of employees faced considerable uncertainty,” Toomey said in a statement. “I’m pleased that after numerous suspensions and delays, the regressive medical device tax will finally be repealed.”
Continue to article: https://www.mcall.com/news/pennsylvania/capitol-ideas/mc-nws-pa-congress-medical-device-tax-repeal-20191223-jtrmjrsadzg43lumf2sz6y7fkm-story.html
