National Association of Dental Laboratories shows support for repeal of Medical Device Excise Tax

The National Association of Dental Laboratories released the following statement regarding its support for the repeal of Medical Device Excise Tax.

"The federal Protect Medical Innovation Act filed both in the House and Senate for 2013 is expected to include provisions to repeal the medical device excise tax. NADL continues to support the repeal of the medical device excise tax or alternatively including an exemption for dental devices.
 
Currently eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids and most dental devices are exempted from FDA registration and device listing requirements by the same provision in the Code of Federal Regulations. However, the Health Care Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 neglected to include dental devices along with the specific exemptions for eyeglasses, contact lenses and hearing aids from the medical device excise tax.
 
Dental insurance is not included as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”) and applying the Medical Device Excise Tax to dental devices passes the cost of the tax on to patients for care that is wholly outside of the new national health care plan.
 
The impact of this failure to exempt dental devices from the medical device excise tax will be felt most by those who can afford it least. The costs of the medical device excise tax are being passed on to the patient, reducing access to basic dental care as the financial barriers to basic dental care are increased. This disproportionally impacts the poor and the elderly who have some of the greatest need and are least able to afford the increased costs.  
 
It is well documented that the failure to maintain oral health leads to many other serious health issues. Now is not the time to increase the financial barriers to basic dental care.  We applaud those members of congress who are leading the charge and the NADL urges congress to repeal the medical device excise tax or alternatively add dental devices to the current exemptions contained in 26 U.S.C. 4191(b)(2)."