Leader McConnell, Speaker Ryan, Leaders Schumer and Pelosi, and Members of Congress:
There are millions of Americans who struggle to manage complex, chronic and rare diseases. They, as
well as their families and caregivers, rely on medical technology to not only save and extend lives, but
also improve quality of life. On their behalf, the undersigned patient advocacy, disability, research,
community, and healthcare industry organizations are writing to express our deep concern about the
impact of the medical device excise tax, which will soon be reinstated, and the future of vital medical
technology innovation.
From molecular diagnostics and advanced imaging systems to implantable devices like pacemakers
and artificial joints, medical technologies are critical to diagnosing and treating diseases and
conditions that significantly impact patients’ lives – illnesses like cancer and heart disease and
debilitating autoimmune conditions like arthritis and chronic pain. Medical technology is also
combatting America’s opioid epidemic, providing alternatives to pain management, new approaches
to addiction, as well as medication management devices and apps.
Medical technology touches every aspect of the health care continuum. For people with cancer,
diagnostic tests and imaging technologies offer vital information that guides more precise treatment,
while radiotherapies and surgical oncology tools provide treatment options with fewer side effects,
giving patients hope for a better quality of life. For people suffering spinal cord injury and disease,
medical technology is an essential element to improving mobility and living independently. And for
people with neurological conditions like epilepsy, medical technology is providing monitoring
solutions that can predict and prevent seizures before they happen, a technology that would have
seemed unimaginable even ten years ago.
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