The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) and the Organized Dentistry Coalition (ODC) are asking Congress to repeal the medical device excise tax, urging the Senate Finance Committee to move promptly to consider legislation that includes repeal. AGD leaders also have submitted a statement of recommendation to the committee’s Health Task Force to address ongoing efforts to develop long-term solutions to temporary tax policies.
In its statement, the AGD urges Congress to support the Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2019 and call for a full repeal of the medical device tax, which has been in suspension for four years without any negative impact on the overall revenue and fiscal strength of the Affordable Care Act, the AGD reports.
If the 2.3% tax is imposed, however, the AGD says it is concerned about the adverse impact it will have on manufacturers, importers, and producers of certain dental devices that likely will pass that fiscal burden on to dental providers and their patients. The AGD also says that an imposed medical device excise tax could increase the costs of dental care by more than $160 million annually.
Furthermore, the AGD is concerned that an increase in the cost of oral healthcare as a result of the tax on medical devices, including dental and orthodontic devices, will have a negative impact on access to oral healthcare services. Plus, the AGD says, the tax would negatively impact dental professionals who operate solo and small group practices as more advanced devices become more expensive, impacting the quality of provided care.
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