The executive director of the Indiana Medical Device Manufacturers Council is “hopeful” federal lawmakers will repeal a tax on medical device makers. Peggy Welch wants to further educate Hoosier legislators about the impact of the industry today during Life Sciences Exhibitor Day at the Statehouse. She says while large companies can “weather the tax,” smaller companies might go out of business if it is not repealed.

The Indiana Medical Device Manufacturers Council and the Indiana Health Industry Forum are hosting the second annual Life Sciences Exhibitor Day from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 9, in the Statehouse North Atrium. Legislators and other invited guests will be able to examine medical device products manufactured in Indiana and discuss issues affecting life science and medical device companies.

Exhibitors include: Biomet; Boston Scientific; Cook GBT (a cord blood and cord/placenta tissue stem cell company); Cook Medical; DePuy Synthes; Genesis Plastics Welding; Iotron Industries; OrthoPediatrics; Pulmodyne; Roche Diagnostics; and Zimmer.

Of particular interest may be OrthoPediatrics. OrthoPediatrics, located in Warsaw, is the only company in the United States dedicated to the design and production of orthopedic products for children. Currently, this company has had to stop implementation of two orthopedic innovations because of the federal medical device tax.

Invited guests who have indicated attendance and are expected to say a few words are: Governor Pence; Lt. Governor Ellspermann; Legislative Caucus Leaders; Congresswoman Walorski; and members of Congressional offices.

During the recent economic downturn, the medical device industry remained strong and vibrant. Indiana is one of the country’s leading medical device hubs, with approximately 300+ medical device companies that employ more than 19,000 Hoosiers. In late 2012, BioCrossroads listed the top 50 Indiana life science companies on the basis of employment. Twenty-seven of those 50 companies are designated as medical device companies. The industry contributes nearly $10 billion to Indiana’s annual economic output. And in multiple state rankings for the country’s medical device industry, Indiana is consistently in the top five. Indiana’s medical device companies are also part of an industry that is a positive contributor to the U.S. balance of trade through exports to the rest of the world.

Source: Indiana Medical Device Manufacturers Council, INside Indiana Business