By Aaron Rupar
Fri., Feb. 8 2013 at 1:42 PM FiDA highlight
On Wednesday, Republican U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen
introduced a bill to repeal the medical device tax included in Obamacare. In 2012, by a wide margin, Paulsen led the
House in money received from medical supply companies.
Following the money suggests there's more to
Paulsen's medical device tax view than a concern about stifling economic
activity.
Seems like there's probably a connection between
those two things, right? But Paulsen denies it.
Asked today by the Star Tribune whether the $110,100 he received from
the medical supply industry last year plays a role in his interest in the
medical device tax, Paulsen said:
"No, none whatsoever." It's unclear whether his nose grew as he
uttered those words.
Paulsen's push to repeal the tax is also
supported by Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and guess what? Last year, Klobuchar received the
third most money from medical supply companies of any Senator
($90,025); Franken clocked in at 12th ($30,349).
Of course, we're not exactly breaking news by
suggesting financial contributions play a role what legislation various elected
officials support. To take just one additional example, around this time last
year, Klobuchar and Franken both supported anti-piracy legislation that
would've benefited big media. And as we reported, both senators received
hundreds of thousands of dollars from big media companies in the
preceding years.
Last
year, Paulsen wanted to make up for the $29 billion that would be lost if the
device tax were repealed by reducing health care subsidies for the poor. But
as you'd imagine, that proposal wasn't popular with Democrats, and this year's
bill doesn't specify what would make up for the lost revenue.
Read
my blog: Failed Implant Device Alliance. It records all the reasons
why the public is now paying for the 'innovation' failures of the medical
device industry. Rep. Erik Paulsen ignores patient harm caused by medical
products and thereby puts patients and medical device industry jobs in
conflict. Follow the money: it is definitely corrupting our healthcare
system. Secure Minnesota jobs are dependent upon creating value, not
aggressively pursuing profit at all costs to ethics and morality. Patient
safety must be the first consideration and our government leaders pledge to put
citizens rights before business interests.
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