Pols’ letter supporting med-tech firms omits Medtronic

AdvaMed, the medical-device industry’s trade association and lobbying body, has already complained about the fee, saying it would stifle innovation and lead to job cuts. And last week, Rep. Erik Paulsen, the Republican congressman from the 3rd District, was joined by Michele Bachmann (R-6th District) and Betty McCollum (D-4th District) in asking Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus, D-Mont., to “reconsider” that part of his bill.

The letter, which specifically named some big med-tech firms, noted that “medical technology should be viewed as a cost savings and an industry where growth should be incentivized, not taxed.”

It might come as a surprise, then, to learn that the letter didn’t mention Medtronic. Or that Rep Keith Ellison, who represents Fridley, did not join his House colleagues in signing the letter.

Ellison’s communication director, Rick Jauert, pleaded ignorance when first contacted about the letter. Later, Jauert said that the office found out about the letter too late. Further, Medtronic had not contacted the congressman’s office.

“So without adequate time to research the issue and not having heard from the principal party that could be affected in our district, we did not sign,” Jauert said via e-mail.

Andrew Fox, a spokesman for Paulsen’s office, argued in an e-mail that, “unfortunately, for the purposes of brevity,” the letter did not list all the big medical-device companies presumably affected by the bill.

A Medtronic spokesman, who was not aware that Paulsen, Bachmann and McCollum had sent a letter, characterized the omission as “an oversight and certainly not intentional.”