With the 2006 Massachusetts health care bill, our state responsibly dealt with the problem of covering our uninsured. Today, approximately 98 percent of our residents have health insurance, and we accomplished this worthy goal without a federal takeover from Washington, D.C., that includes 18 new tax hikes and cuts a half trillion dollars to Medicare for our seniors. While not perfect, I was proud to vote for our 2006 health care law, and I’m proud to support it today.
Unfortunately, my opponent in the Senate race, Elizabeth Warren, supports the new federal law, even though it includes the job-crushing 2.3 percent excise tax on our medical device community that is set to take effect in less than six months in January 2013. Massachusetts is home to more than 400 medical device companies. The industry employs nearly 25,000 people in our state, and is also responsible for 80,000 jobs in related industries. Industry experts have already warned of cutbacks and job losses. This tax will throw a wet blanket on a thriving and vibrant Massachusetts industry. She now says it’s time to “move on” even though in June the professor wrote in a medical device newsletter that she favored repealing the tax.
I believe we should strive to provide affordable health care for our fellow citizens. I also believe each state should have the flexibility to come up with plans that work best for their respective state. What’s good for Massachusetts may not work for those in Mississippi or Montana, and vice versa.
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This story first ran in the Metro West Daily News on July 15, 2012.
