The ACA features a provision implementing a medical device tax on manufacturers. However, Congress voted to suspend the tax until 2018, leaving legislators from both party lines split on whether the tax should come to fruition, according to Kaiser Health News.
Here are five thoughts:
1. The tax is expected to generate $29 billion over the next decade. The tax is comprised of a 2.3 percent levy on taxable medical devices' sales price.
2. While the manufacturer pays the tax, the manufacturer will likely place the additional expenses onto purchasers, namely physicians and hospitals.
3. Nearly 166 Democrats voted alongside Republicans to approve the two-year delay. Ninety-five Republicans voted against the delay.
4. A large portion of senators who hailed from states with a high concentration of device manufacturers voted in favor of the delay.
5. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) were among those opposing the delay.