The GOP now controls the Congress & Senate: What does this mean for the spine industry?

Spine

On Nov. 4, the Republican Party swept the midterm elections and gained control of Congress. The party now controls both the Congress and the Senate. Two spine surgeons discuss what this means for the industry.

Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: What is the most important professional lesson you learned in 2014?

 

Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 5 p.m. CST.

 

Question: How will the republican sweep of the House and Senate affect the spine industry?

 

Brian R. Gantwerker, MD, The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: That remains to be seen. The tax code, the Patient Brian GantwerkerProtection and Affordable Care Act and the financial health of the country is a tall order. Historically, when we have Congress and the White House with opposing parties more has gotten done — Clinton, Reagan, etc. The extent to which the bad blood will stymy the process is, to me at least, not clear.  

 

What I hope to have happen is that the PPACA is exposed for what it is, which is a huge money grab for the insurance companies. Also, patients will have access to good care, but not continue to paint physicians as the villains.

 

Kern SinghKern Singh, MD, Co-Director, Minimally Invasive Spine Institute, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago: Interestingly split governments as we have now are traditionally associated with significant bull runs in the stock market. Companies can plan for the future knowing for the most part that legislative overhauls will be minimal. While a republican initiative is to repeal the device tax, whether that makes it through the White House without a veto remains to be seen. The bottom line we can assume for the next two years is no more major healthcare/spine changes are expected.

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