Washington, D.C.,-based AdvaMed has gone against the grain in backing the GOP's ACA repeal bill, the AHCA, according to The Boston Globe. The American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association, among others, have released statements against implementing AHCA in its current form.
Here's what you need to know:
1. AdvaMed's endorsement counters the anti-AHCA stance taken on by numerous groups representing doctors, nurses, hospitals and consumers.
2. A provision calling for the repeal of the ACA's medical device tax appealed to AdvaMed, as the association has fought the excise tax since 2013. The tax was suspended last year and will expire in 2017.
3. While AdvaMed chief advocacy officer J.C. Scott believes the AMA, AHA, American Nurses Association and others reject the bill, "Every association is representing the interests of its membership, just as we do."
4. Critics argue the device industry views the AHCA with a short-sighted point of view, as the legislation would make it harder for low-income patients to afford many devices, according to the report.
5. Boston-based MassMedic also advocates for the device tax's repeal, but stopped short of fully supporting the GOP's bill. Organization president Tom Summer said, "I haven’t seen any analysis of the impact of the [Republican] bill on demand for medical products. We're not sure what the fallout will be."
6. Medical device companies cut roughly 29,000 jobs when the tax was in effect between 2012 and 2015. Medical device makers also decreased research and capital expenditures. Since the tax's two-year suspension began at the beginning of 2015, many companies have expanded and increased hiring rates.
More device articles:
NuVasive insider Jason Hannon sells 24k+ shares: 5 insights
Stryker, K2M, SI-Bone & more: 17 device company key notes
Germany dominates European total ankle replacement market — 6 points