Mass. reaction: Insurers feel better while device makers ill (Boston Herald)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts CEO Andrew Dreyfus hardly expected conservative Chief Justice John Roberts to be in his corner on health-care policy.
“I was surprised,” he said. “I knew the ruling would be close. But I didn’t expect (Roberts) would be the deciding vote and write the opinion.”
Reaction from local industry stakeholders to the Supreme Court’s affirmative ruling on Obamacare varied yesterday — in part because Massachusetts’ unique status as a universal health-care state shields us from much of the outcome.
One sticking point that the Bay State cannot escape, however, is a tax on medical device makers that is estimated to raise $29 billion in 10 years. Tom Sommer, president of the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council, vowed to keep up the fight and lobby for legislation that would overturn the tax.
“We continue to be concerned with the impact the 2.3 percent medical device tax will have on patient and caregiver access to new medical technologies,” Sommer said. “We believe that the tax will result in workforce reduction and decreased (research) activities at our companies.”
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