Lawmakers from Arizona and New York sent two separate letters to Congress asking them to repeal or further delay a suspension of a 2.3 percent medical device tax.
The tax, established in 2013 to help fund the ACA, has been suspended since 2015. However, it is set to go into effect once again on Jan. 1, 2020. Lawmakers want Congress to permanently repeal the tax, or at least extend the suspension.
A bipartisan group of nine lawmakers in Arizona sent a letter to Congress Sept. 16, urging them to pass the Protect Medical Innovation Act, which would permanently repeal the medical device tax. The lawmakers argued the tax would raise healthcare costs, reduce industry investment and innovation and make it harder for patients to access medical devices.
Eight members of New York's Congress also sent a letter to Congress asking them to repeal or extend the delay on the tax. They said they're worried the tax will stop more jobs from being created, according to the Auburn Citizen.
The medical technology industry lost 29,000 jobs when the tax was in place from 2013 to 2015, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.