12 governors call for permanent repeal of medical device tax before holidays

12 U.S. governors, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have written a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan calling for the medical device tax (MDT) to be permanently repealed before the holiday break.

“In July, the House of Representatives passed a bill to kill the MDT, but the repeal bill has stalled in the Senate due to procedural wrangling,” the governors wrote in the letter. “That must end. For the good of our economy and our health care system, this tax should be repealed entirely and permanently. As leaders, it is vital that we seize on opportunities to inject free-market principles into our health care system, which will not only improve it but bring down premiums and stop the unsustainable spending.”

The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) and other advocacy groups have been urging Congress to repeal this tax all year. MITA issued a statement in support of the governors’ letter.

“We applaud this group of governors for leading the charge against a tax that puts tens of thousands of good-paying American jobs at risk and prevents a world-leading advanced industry from innovating to stay on top,” Patrick Hope, executive director of MITA, said in the statement. “Permanently repealing the harmful medical device tax is the right thing to do for the American people and for our country.”