New health care bill could have a big impact on jobs in a small Indiana city

If passed, the American Health Care Act could have a big effect on a small Indiana city that is the Orthopedic Capital of the World.

The American Health Care Act is not perfect, says Republican Indiana Congressman Jim Banks.

“But what it does do is it does repeal a trillion dollars in taxes associated with Obamcare, including the medical device tax,” said Congressman Banks.

Obamacare’s medical device excise tax imposed a 2.3% tax on certain medical devices starting in 2012.

By 2022, that would amount to $20 billion in taxes, according to the Warsaw nonprofit OrthoWorx.

Its repeal would be a big deal for Indiana.

“The district that I represent in northeast Indiana is the world’s capital of the orthopedic industry, and we have tens of thousands of jobs related to the medical device industry,” said Banks.

The Orthopedic Capital of the World, Warsaw, Indiana, has at least six medical device companies that employ 6,800 people, according to Orthoworx.

That’s about half of the city’s population and a third of the industry’s total employees in the state.

“This bill would repeal, fully repeal, and permanently, the medical device tax, which would mean more jobs, good-paying jobs for Hoosiers in Northeast Indiana,” said Congressman Banks.

If the house approves the health care bill, medical device companies will be able to stop paying the tax starting December 2017.