Medical device tax ‘exactly as we have feared,’ AdvaMed CEO Ubl says
October 8, 2014 by Brian Johnson
The medical device industry’s fears about the medical device tax have borne out, making its repeal a top agenda item for AdvaMed CEO Stephen Ubl.
Time has not healed all wounds when it comes to the medical device tax. Nearly 2 years after implementation, the levy has played out according to script, AdvaMed president & CEO Stephen Ubl said this week.
“[It] is playing out exactly as we have feared. It’s cost us high-paying jobs, reduced R&D spending, stifling new innovations. It’s been a nightmare for the IRS to implement and there’s no evidence of a windfall,” Ubl told reporters gathered at the AdvaMed 2014 convention in Chicago.
Ubl said there is hope at the lobbying group that a more medtech-friendly environment will descend on Washington after the midterm elections next month. Beltway analysts have widely predicted that the GOP could re-take the Senate and keep the House of Representatives firmly in its grasp.
“It’s clear that policy makers think of repealing the medical device tax as a key policy and jobs issue to be addressed. We’re heartened by the votes in the House and the Senate, and the fact that repeal was included in prominent tax reform proposals, and the fact that the tax continues to be a part of nationwide editorials calling for it to be repealed,” Ubl said. “Regardless of what the election brings, we’ll continue to push forward on repeal and we remain hopeful we’ll have a more productive environment in Congress.”
