Senate Votes to Repeal New Medical Device Tax

The Affordable Care Act, signed into law back in 2010, includes a 2,3% that will be charged on the total revenue of a medical device company, regardless of whether the company generates profit or not. It was meant to start this year and due to the polemic that it has raised among the medical device industry and in Congress, a repeal amendment was proposed.

On Thursday, March 21^st, the US Senate voted a 79-20 tally to repeal the medical device tax. The voting was bipartisan; it included 33 democrats against the tax. The amendment proposed is called Medical Device Access and Innovation Protection Act, introduced by both a Republican and Democrat Senators. The reasons for such a support to the amendment are due to a concern of losses in profits, job creation and R&D investments. The opponents to the repeal claim that the new tax will raise a $30 billion in 10 years and it will be funding the Affordable Care Act.

References: http://www.mddionline.com/article/medical-device-tax-jeopardy-after-senate-votes-repeal