On January 3, 2017, Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) introduced the Protecting Medical Innovation Act of 2017, which would permanently repeal the medical device tax. The AAO’s Political Action Committee (“AAOPAC”) has been a longtime supporter of Rep. Paulsen and supports the permanent repeal of the medical device tax.
By way of background, the Affordable Care Act imposed a 2.3 percent excise tax on medical device manufacturers and importers. In December 2015, Congress placed a temporary moratorium on the medical device tax for calendar years 2016 and 2017. If enacted, this legislation would prevent the medical device tax from going back into effect in 2018.
The legislation currently has over 200 co-sponsors, and this issue has had strong bipartisan support. The AAO will continue to monitor developments related to the medical device tax and provide you with relevant updates.
