It wasn’t all that long ago that Dr. Robert Califf, the Obama administration’s nominee to head the FDA, was grilled for his close ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Yesterday, it was the turn of the Trump administration’s nominee, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, to face criticism for his links to private industry. Gottlieb, 44, is a former FDA […]
Capitol Hill
Trumpcare’s prospects dim, but not too dim to hit stent graft makers
The push on Capitol Hill to revive Trumpcare stalled yesterday, but not before the chatter out of Washington instigated a slide for stent graft makers’ stocks. The Affordable Care Act covers a 1-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms in men who smoke or smoked in the past, listing the test as an “essential health benefit.” The […]
Hospital stocks fall as GOP looks to revive Trumpcare bill
Shares in US hospital operators fell today after Republicans began planning to revive a bill which aims to dismantle and replace Obamacare. Shares of HCA Holdings, the largest publicly traded hospital operator, fell 3.2%, while Tenet Healthcare was off 4.8% and Community Health Systems dropped 6.3%. Members of the Trump administration, including VP Mike Pence, met […]
Senate bill seeks to reform Medicare’s local coverage determinations
A bill introduced yesterday in the U.S. Senate would reform the way Medicare agencies make local coverage determinations in a bid to make the process more transparent. The bipartisan bill, S. 794, sponsored by Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and co-sponsored by Sens. Thomas Carper (D-Del.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.), would change the way Medicare […]
Not so fast: Utah’s Hatch thinks medtech levy repeal could still be part of tax reform
Despite House Republicans’ insistence that any taxes associated with Obamacare – including the medical device tax – won’t be part of the negotiations over tax reform, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that the overall tax package could include the repeal of taxes put in place by the Affordable Care Act. The 2.3% excise tax on U.S. […]
Trumpcare’s demise augurs ill for medical device tax repeal
The immolation of the Trumpcare bill last week doesn’t bode well for the medical device industry’s hopes for repeal the medtech tax that’s slated to go back into effect next year. The 2.3% excise tax on U.S. medical device sales was enacted along with the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and went into effect in 2013. […]
Short of votes, Trumpcare bill is withdrawn
Republican leaders in the US House of Representatives today withdrew the GOP-backed Trumpcare bill, which aimed to begin dismantling and replacing Obamacare, due to a shortage of votes. A vote on the measure was planned after Trump cut off negotiations with Republicans who had balked at the plan and issued an ultimatum to vote on […]
House delays vote on Trumpcare bill
The US House of Representatives today indefinitely delayed its vote on the Trumpcare legislation, which looks to begin dismantling Obamacare and replacing it with a GOP-supported framework. The Trump administration and the GOP had hoped the day would signal a significant turn for conservatives, with Trump and House Republican leaders planning the vote on the […]
Drug importation bills aim to improve access, lower costs for Americans
Members of the U.S. House and Senate have introduced bills that would allow Americans to import prescription drugs from Canada in an attempt to increase accessibility and lower the cost of drugs. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) introduced the “Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act” at the end […]
WaPo Fact Checker debunks industry’s jobs claims on device tax
There is “little evidence” to show that the roughly 29,000 jobs lost in the medical-device industry after the implementation of the medical-device were a direct result of the tax, according to a Washington Post report published today. The 2.3% tax on non-retail medical devices went into effect on Jan. 2013a, with an effective rate of about […]
Trumpcare bill clears House Budget Committee
The GOP-backed Trumpcare bill today won approval today from the US House of Representatives Budget Committee, despite losing support from 3 conservatives. The plan cleared the Committee with a 19 to 17 vote, with David Brat (R-Va), Gary Palmer (R-Al) and Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) voting against, joined by the panel’s Democrats. The approval came as the […]