H.R. 436: Hatch Says He Has a Medical Device Bill

H.R. 436 — the medical device bill that is now serving as a locomotive for the Health Care Cost Reducation Act package — is still without a committee of jurisdiction in the Senate.

But Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the highest ranking Republican at the Senate Finance Committee, has put out a statement that he already has introduced a Senate version of the medical device bill — S. 17, 

The Finance Committee has had jurisdiction over that bill since Jan. 25, 2011.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) would impose a 2.3% excise tax on medical device makers starting in January 2013. S. 17 would repeal the tax immediately, Hatch says in a statement.

The authors of new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirm that implantable medical devices save lives, Hatch says.

“When you have data like this that shows medical devices are improving Americans’ lives for the better, it’s baffling why the White House chose to tax the medical device industry to fund the president’s health law,” Hatch says.

If the device tax stays in effect, U.S. device makers would pay $29 billion in additional taxes over 10 years, Hatch says.