In a rare display of bipartisanship, after intense last minute negotiations between congressional leadership and the Executive Branch, President Donald Trump signed into law legislation passed last week by Congress to...more
Highlights: ..Unless Congress acts in the next three weeks, effective as of January 1, 2020, a 2.3% excise tax (the “Medical Device Tax”) generally will be imposed on the price at which a “taxable medical device” is sold...more
While the US House of Representatives recently voted to repeal the medical device excise tax imposed by a 2010 amendment to the Affordable Care Act, there is no sign that the Senate will vote on this issue any time soon. ...more
This week’s “Capitol Hill Healthcare Update” includes the latest on a series of healthcare bills scheduled for House votes, including one to repeal the medical device tax; Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott...more
The House and Senate convene today at noon and 3 p.m., respectively. House - Votes. The chamber will take up a series of measures to expand and improve access to Health Savings Accounts...more
HEADLINES - President Donald Trump has two Midwest trips scheduled this week, while he continues to face bipartisan criticism on his performance last week in Europe....more
The Congressional agreement that reopened the federal government for three weeks quietly addressed—at least temporarily—several high-profile issues affecting public and private health benefits. ...more
For opponents of the 2.3 percent medical device tax, it looked like the repeal/replacement of the Affordable Care Act would alleviate their concerns. However, following the failure of repeal legislation that would have...more
The chart below compares key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). This chart is current as of July 13, 2017, and as of that date,...more
The American Health Care Act ("AHCA"), passed by the House of Representatives on May 4, 2017, repeals many of the taxes added by the Affordable Care Act ("ACA") and makes changes to other tax rules. Some of the notable...more
President Trump and Paul Ryan (R-Wis) have not yet successfully replaced the Affordable Care Act with the American Health Care Act (“AHCA”). The medical device industry had been paying particular attention to the proposed...more
On March 6, 2017, after years of promising, GOP lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced the “American Health Care Act” (AHCA), the first concrete legislative proposal detailing the initial provisions designed to...more
Republican lawmakers recently proposed a replacement of Obamacare known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA). One provision of the proposed legislation would permanently repeal Obamacare’s 2.3% medical device excise tax. ...more
On March 6, 2017, the House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Committee and Energy and Commerce Committee released budget reconciliation recommendations that will, after mark-up beginning on March 8th, form the American...more
With the upcoming Republican-dominated Presidency and Congress in 2017, the Affordable Care Act, or at least parts of it, look to be on the chopping block. One of the changes that may be forthcoming is a repeal of the 2.3%...more
President-elect Trump has stated repeatedly that one of his initial goals is to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (the "ACA"). Because the Republicans control both houses of Congress, it seems likely that a repeal...more
On November 8, 2016, the future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) became more uncertain. Republicans in Congress have been working to repeal the ACA since it was passed in 2010, and now, with control of...more
Over the past five years or so, Republican Congressmen have repeatedly taken steps to repeal President Obama’s landmark legislative effort – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”). However, those efforts...more
Guidance eases tax filing burdens on medical device manufacturers. On February 24, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published informal guidance on the suspension of the Medical Device Excise Tax through an update...more
Like many things, the answer to that question depends on the distribution of power after the November elections. Assuming the House stays in control of the Republicans, not much will change with that part of the...more
With no clear “must-do” legislative priorities for health care in 2016, aside from annual appropriations, any legislation with potential of enactment must have strong bipartisan support and relatively little controversy. We...more
Congress’s recent $1.8 trillion holiday shopping spree (aka The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, which became law on December 18, 2015) included a few employee benefit packages. We recently unwrapped the packages....more
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's (ACA) 2.3 percent medical device excise tax was contentious even before taking effect on January 1, 2013. Under the ACA, medical device manufacturers and importers are required...more
The New York Times reports that Congress has passed a $1.8 trillion package of spending and tax cuts which includes a two-year-long suspension of the medical device tax and a permanent extension of the research and...more
The omnibus appropriations and tax extenders package released last night contain many healthcare provisions. The tax extenders package provides for a two-year moratorium for the medical device tax for 2016 and 2017. ...more