Industry groups flew in more than 50 CEOs to visit Capitol Hill, launched an ad campaign and released an impact report last week as part of a stepped-up effort to get Congress to repeal the impending medical device tax before it goes into effect Jan. 1.
Direct contributions from individuals or company political action committees to candidates from the pure-play device industry totaled $4.7 million to Republicans and $2.9 million to Democrats, as of Oct. 31. This clear edge toward Republicans is a shift from prior election cycles.
Existing market pressures make widespread price increases an unlikely company strategy to balance the impacts of the oncoming 2.3% device excise tax, sources say.
Republicans in Congress introduced bills last week that would repeal the medical device excise tax before it takes effect in 2013, but few Democrats have jumped on board publicly so far.
Medtech Intellectual Property Highlights of 2009: Federal Circuit, USTPO and Beyond By Jason R. Kraus and Brian W. Oberst Faegre & Benson
The past year heralded a number of events that could directly affect the way medtech companies do business. Among these are the Federal Circuit decision in Prometheus—which may shape the future of medical method claims—as well as possible policy shifts within the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The following is an overview of some significant legal, legislative and regulatory developments medtech companies will want to monitor in 2010. Read more...
Device makers are beginning to budget for a 2011 start date for a new tax on medical device sales, but that does not mean they have given up hope for a further delay of the tax. Read more...
Breaking news story reprinted from "The Gray Sheet" - December 24, 2009
With the Senate passage of landmark health care reform legislation, it is all but inevitable that device companies will be facing a new government fee for the long term.
Full article reprinted from "The Gray Sheet" - December 14, 2009
Groups representing the device industry have aligned to push an amendment to the Senate health care reform bill to exempt more pre- and low-profit companies from the proposed $20 billion device tax. Read more...
Article preview reprinted from "The Gray Sheet" - November 2, 2009
The updated House health care reform bill includes a substantially reduced device industry excise tax compared to a Senate bill, but includes no exceptions for small businesses. Read more...
