Medical device excise tax

[agate]

As of January 1 of this year, medical devices sold in the US will have a 2.3% medical device excise tax added on.

It looks to me as if it's the manufacturers who are being taxed. The manufacturers of many medical devices have been making huge profits, I believe. Why not tax them?



For years I've been deluged with promotional material for scooters and power chairs. These salespeople promise me that I'm eligible through Medicare and "all" they need from me is my doctor's name and phone number so they can "just" call and set the whole thing up, and I'll be breezing around in my power chair in the twinkling of an eye.

I'm probably not eligible under Medicare, and I know it.I've already received a manual wheelchair through Medicare, and the rule is "one chair per person per lifetime." Or it was when I last checked.--Unless there is clear evidence that the person's condition has deteriorated to the point of being virtually bedbound.

These salespeople are planning to twist the facts a bit and persuade the doctor to go along with the idea. I really want no part of it. But the colossal effort going into promoting some medical devices says something to me about how very hard they're trying to sell this stuff--which is pricey.

...And there are some exemptions to the medical device excise tax: