Repeal the Bedpan Tax

Lehigh Valley Congressman Charlie Dent, along with other Republican lawmakers, yesterday advocated a repeal of a 2.3% medical device excise tax. They made their pitch at Philly's University City Science Center, an incubator for medical technology businesses.

According to a report just released by the Advanced Medical Technology Association, this new tax, which is part of the healthcare overhaul under consideration by the Supreme Court, will cost the medical device industry $3 billion, costing Pennsylvania 1,700 jobs and $346 million over seven years.

Locally, the tax will have a detrimental impact on companies like Aesculap, Boas Surgical, Biomed, B Braun, Olympus, Orasure and Precision Medical Instruments. Dent, during recent meetings with leaders at Orasure and Precision Medical Instruments, learned that productivity will be affected.

“Beyond our region, the implementation of the law’s medical device tax will stifle innovation across the country by forcing producers to divert already limited resources away from research and development," predicted Dent. "This tax will also increase the cost consumers pay for a variety of medical devices – from prosthetics to bedpans. Its repeal is incredibly important to our economy and the countless Americans who depend on medical devices.”

Dent and Congressman Jim Gerlach introduced legislation last year to repeal this excise tax. As explained by Gerlach, "It's a tax right off the top, right off the initial gross revenues of a company."

Happy 2d Birthday to Obamacare!

Two years ago today, Obamacare was shoved down the throats of an unwilling public, leading to a Republican majority in the U.S. House. But aside from all the emotional pros and cons, has it worked? According to an analysis by Politico, No. It presents these four hard truths.

1) Some people won’t get to keep the coverage they like. - This contrary to President Obama "if you like it, you can keep it" argument.

2) Costs are not going down.

3) It's just a guess that the law will pay for itself.

4) People don't like the law any more now than they did when it passed.

Updated Friday, 8:45 AM: As a birthday present, Politico is now reporting five mistakes Democrats made when enacting a supposed health care reform. (1) It was a partisan victory instead of consensus; (2) They've been unable to sell it to the public; (3) Obama never really led the "great  campaign" promised to inform the public, and now he's too busy with an even greater campaign; (4) Democrats have been unable to campaign on this bill's enactment; and (5) The individual mandate is by no means a slam dunk in the courts.