The excise tax on medical devices originally included in the Affordable Care Act is back in force again. On Jan. 1, medical device manufacturers began paying a 2.3 percent excise tax on their products, even though many had hoped it would have been eliminated by now.
The tax is supposed to finance the cost of the ACA, generating an estimated $29 billion over 10 years, but Congress suspended the levy for 2016 and 2017 amid claims that it would hinder innovation and increase healthcare costs.
As the news website Healthcare Dive reports, Republicans and some Democrats oppose the tax but never reached a deal to repeal it or extend the suspension.
“Opponents hoped the tax would die with ACA repeal efforts last year, but those ultimately failed, and the tax overhaul legislation approved last month by Congress and signed into law by Trump did not address the medical device tax,” author Meg Bryant said.
