The Cost of ObamaCare: House Dems’ Healthcare Takeover’s Medical Device Tax is Sending Jobs Overseas

May 14, 2012

FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Shelley Adler (NJ-03), Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Jeff Anderson (MN-08), George Badey (PA-07), Ron Barber (AZ-08), John Barrow (GA-12), Ami Bera (CA-07), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Kathy Boockvar (PA-08), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Lois Capps (CA-24), Ben Chandler (KY-06), Andrei Cherny (AZ-09), David Cicilline (RI-01), Tarryl Clark (MN-08), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Costa (CA-16), Mark Critz (PA-12), David Crooks (IN-08), Rick Daugherty (PA-15), John Delaney (MD-06), Val Demings (FL-10), Bill Foster (IL-11), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Pete Gallego (TX-23), John Garamendi (CA-03), David Gill (IL-13), Alan Grayson (FL-09), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Pam Gulleson (ND-AL), Clark Hall (AR-01), Brad Harriman (IL-12), Jose Hernandez (CA-10), Brian Higgins (NY-26), Jim Himes (CT-04), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Paul Hirschbiel (VA-02), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Q. Byrum Hurst (AR-04), Steve Israel (NY-03), Bill Keating (MA-09), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Pat Kreitlow (WI-07), Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02), Rick Larsen (WA-02), David Loebsack (IA-02), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Nita Lowey (NY-17), Dan Maffei (NY-24), Larry Maggi (PA-18), Jim Matheson (UT-04), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Joe Miklosi (CO-06), Brendan Mullen (IN-02), Patrick Murphy (FL-18), Mark Murphy (NY-11), Rick Nolan (MN-08), John Oceguera (NV-03), Bill Owens (NY-21), Sal Pace (CO-03), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Scott Peters (CA-52), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23), Raul Ruiz (CA-36), Lori Saldaña (CA-52), David Schapira (AZ-09), Brandon Shaffer (CO-04), Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01), Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09), Louise Slaughter (NY-25), Gene Stilp (PA-11), Betty Sutton (OH-16), Mark Takano (CA-41), John Tierney (MA-06), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Manan Trivedi (PA-06), Niki Tsongas (MA-03), Christie Vilsack (IA-04), Jamie Wall (WI-08), Tim Walz (MN-01), Charlie Wilson (OH-06), John Yarmuth (KY-03).

 The Cost of ObamaCare: Matheson’s Medical Device Tax is Sending Jobs Overseas
By Supporting ObamaCare, Matheson Paves Way for a Tax That Leads to Outsourcing, Higher Costs and Less Innovation


WASHINGTON —
– ObamaCare’s medical device tax, set to go into effect next year, is fulfilling Jim Matheson’s commitment to his party’s limitless spending addiction and job-killing agenda. The tax falls under Matheson’s healthcare overhaul and is threatening to increase healthcare costs, crush medical innovation and has already forced employers to outsource jobs.

“Utah families deserve a healthcare system that is modern, encourages job growth and isn’t forcing the national debt to spiral out-of-control,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “However, Jim Matheson’s refusal to stand up against ObamaCare and for his constituents is proof that he would rather sacrifice quality care and burden future generations with astronomical debt than break with his party’s failed agenda.”

According to the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), the costs of Matheson’s big-government takeover of healthcare would be up to 39,000 jobs and $8 billion in economic productivity:


“A $3 billion hit on the medical device industry — roughly the effect of the healthcare reform law’s industry tax — would cost nearly 39,000 jobs and more than $8 billion in economic output, according to a new report released Monday by the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed).”
(Julian Pecquet, “Medical Device Makers Decry Cost of Tax,” The Hill, 3/26/2012)

Even though the new burdensome tax hasn’t even been implemented yet, it is already responsible for companies laying off American workers and outsourcing jobs:

“Cook Medical is no longer planning to open a U.S. factory a year. Boston Scientific, planning for a more than $100 million charge against earnings in 2013, recently built a $35 million research and development facility in Ireland and is building a $150 million factory in China. (Capital goes where it is welcome and stays where it is well-treated.) Stryker Corp., based in Michigan, blames the tax for 1,000 layoffs. Zimmer, based in Indiana, is laying off 450 and taking a $50 million charge against earnings. Medtronic expects an annual charge against earnings of $175 million. Covidien, now based in Ireland, has cited the tax in explaining 200 layoffs and a decision to move some production to Costa Rica and Mexico.” (George Will, “Taxing Jobs Out of Existence,” The Washington Post, 5/9/2012)

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