Subject: H.R. 160, the Protect Medical Innovation Act
Dear Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi,
On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological
Surgeons (CNS), we enthusiastically support passage of H.R. 160, the “Protect Medical Innovation Act,”
when it comes to the House floor for a vote. This bipartisan bill has nearly 300 cosponsors and would repeal
the medical device tax.
Created by the Affordable Care Act, the medical device tax is a 2.3 percent excise tax that applies to the
gross sales of medical device products. This arbitrary tax is adversely affecting medical innovation and
patient care. Furthermore, according to a recent report, as many as 195,000 jobs may be lost due to the
tax, either through layoffs or forgone jobs that would have been created. Because our specialty is so highly
dependent on advances in medical technology, repealing the medical device tax is among neurosurgery’s
top legislative priorities.
Clearly, our healthcare system needs innovation to improve patient care and save lives. Unfortunately, this
tax stifles innovation and reduces patient access to new lifesaving technologies. We, therefore, applaud the
bipartisan efforts of Congress to abolish this arbitrary tax.
Thank you for considering our request. In the meantime, we look forward to working with Congress to
develop policy solutions that better support medical innovation and increase treatment options for our
patients.
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