Obamacare sucks

The Fixer
The Fixer Posts: 12,837
edited December 2013 in A Moving Train
I'm in medical sales. I have a number of manufacturers that I represent, with Welch Allyn being one of my most prominent product lines. Family owned and operated in upstate NY...great people at this private company. Reading this article and firsthand seeing good people that I work with being let go so that 'free' healthcare can be given away to those who can't support themselves is flat out wrong.

My mind was already made up on who I'm voting for. This is just another reason why I cannot support Obama.


Medical Device Tax Blamed for Welch Allyn Layoffs


By: Jamie Hartford
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Welch Allyn yesterday became the latest medical device company to announce a round of layoffs it’s blaming on the medical device tax.

The Skaneateles Falls, NY-based manufacturer of medical diagnostic and therapeutic devices, cardiac defibrillators, patient monitoring systems, and miniature precision lamps says it will eliminate around 275 jobs over the next three years through voluntary and involuntary measures. The layoffs will affect around 10% of the company’s 2,750 employees. Welch Allyn will also perform a 90-day evaluation of its European operations and reorganize its business in Latin America.

As part of the restructuring, the company will consolidate its North American manufacturing. Production of its patient monitoring, systems, and low acuity vital signs products will move from Beaverton, OR, to Skaneateles Falls, while production of thermometer probe covers, lamps, and some blood pressure cuff will move from Skaneateles Falls to Tijuana Mexico, where the company also plans to open a shared service center. Welch Allyn will also open three new product development centers, in Skaneateles Falls; Beaverton, OR; and Singapore.

"This restructuring plan will help us maintain competitive levels of investment in new products and technologies that are necessary to meet the changing needs of the global healthcare environment," CEO Steve Meyer said in a statement.

Welch Allyn’s announcement comes less than a week after Medtronic announced that has cut about half of the 1,000 positions it intends to eliminate by the end of 2013 in an attempt to save as much as $125 million and less than two weeks after St. Jude Medical laid off 300 workers in a bid to save up to $60 million starting next year. On August 29, Reuters reported that Boston Scientific is also planning an unspecified number of layoffs.

Welch Allyn is also among the growing medical device companies that have blamed the 2.3% medical tax included in the Affordable Care Act for layoffs. Stryker cited that tax in its decision to eliminate 5% of its workforce last November. In late July, Cook Medical said it would curb plans for growth due to the tax, which is set to take effect in January.




http://www.mddionline.com/article/medic ... yn-layoffs
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Johnny Abruzzo
    Johnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 12,596
    I would agree that the medical device manufacturers were unfairly targeted in Obamacare. If I happened to work in that industry, I could see why one would be opposed to the law.

    At least if you got laid off or your daughter had a preexisting condition you could get insurance...
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila,  PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24; Pittsburgh 5/16/25; Pittsburgh 5/18/25

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  • BinFrog
    BinFrog MA Posts: 7,314
    Well at least that's the entire story.

    Oh, right.

    http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/107878/um ... evice-tax#
    Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
    Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
  • Godfather.
    Godfather. Posts: 12,504
    :thumbup: :clap: :clap:
    to some on here 275 job's is a small price to pay for Nobama care but X's that by a few thousand other plants/employers that will also lay off many employees because of this "great idea"...yea it sucks !!!

    Godfather.
  • Godfather.
    Godfather. Posts: 12,504
    I would agree that the medical device manufacturers were unfairly targeted in Obamacare. If I happened to work in that industry, I could see why one would be opposed to the law.

    At least if you got laid off or your daughter had a preexisting condition you could get insurance...

    he would have had insc. had he not been layed off in the name of Obamacare. :mrgreen:


    Godfather.
  • Cliffy6745
    Cliffy6745 Posts: 34,075
    And the Bloomberg editorial that the article above references

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-0 ... althy.html

    I haven't spoken to analysts and am not going to claim to be an expert on the topic and medical devices may have a case if they are being taxed more than other healtcare verticals, but simple supply and demand would indicate this doesn't necessarily add up.
  • usamamasan1
    usamamasan1 Posts: 4,695
    Look what I found. I didn't fact check though.

    Woot

    The word "Dhimmitude" is found in the new health care bill;
    so what does it mean?

    Thought this was interesting and worth passing on.

    Dhimmitude


    Obama used it in the health care bill.
    Now isn't this interesting?
    It is also included in the health care law.

    Dhimmitude -- I had never heard the word until now. Type it into
    Google and start reading. Pretty interesting. It's on page 107 of the
    healthcare bill.  I looked this up on Google and yep, it exists.  It is a
    REAL word.


    Dhimmitude is the Muslim system of controlling non-Muslim populations
    conquered through jihad (Holy War). Specifically, it is the TAXING of

    non-Muslims in exchange for tolerating their presence AND as a coercive

    means of converting conquered remnants to Islam.



    ObamaCare allows the establishment of Dhimmitude and Sharia Muslim
    diktat in the United States . Muslims are specifically exempted from
    the government mandate to purchase insurance, and also from the
    penalty tax for being uninsured. Islam considers insurance to be
    "gambling", "risk-taking", and "usury" and is thus banned. Muslims are
    specifically granted exemption based on this.



    How convenient. So I, as a Christian, will have crippling IRS liens
    placed against all of my assets, including real estate, cattle, and
    even accounts receivable, and will face hard prison time because I
    refuse to buy insurance or pay the penalty tax. Meanwhile, Louis
    Farrakhan will have no such penalty and will have 100% of his health
    insurance needs paid for by the de facto government insurance.
    Non-Muslims will be paying a tax to subsidize Muslims. This is Dhimmitude.
  • Johnny Abruzzo
    Johnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 12,596
    BinFrog wrote:
    Well at least that's the entire story.

    Oh, right.

    http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/107878/um ... evice-tax#

    It's a little weird that a 2.3% tax could cause layoffs of 10% of employees. Couldn't you just pass the cost along to the providers?

    Well, I said I thought it was an unfair target of the law, and the law clearly has some issues that I hope everybody can work out after this election is over, i.e. put in malpractice reform, increase flexibility for high-deductible plans with HSA's.


    Auto response from some right wing person: This law is terrible and the whole thing has to be repealed.
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila,  PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24; Pittsburgh 5/16/25; Pittsburgh 5/18/25

    Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
  • Cliffy6745
    Cliffy6745 Posts: 34,075
    Oh god
  • Johnny Abruzzo
    Johnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 12,596
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Oh god

    You mean Allah. ;)
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila,  PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24; Pittsburgh 5/16/25; Pittsburgh 5/18/25

    Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
  • polaris_x
    polaris_x Posts: 13,559
    the thing also is that the entire political discourse has become so toxic that it's hard to take anything at face value ... a company may institute layoffs for political purposes under the guise of the tax ... if these companies are publicly traded - it would be interesting to see their financial statements ...

    it should be quite simple ... is demand higher with the tax or not ...
  • Cliffy6745
    Cliffy6745 Posts: 34,075
    BinFrog wrote:
    Well at least that's the entire story.

    Oh, right.

    http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/107878/um ... evice-tax#

    It's a little weird that a 2.3% tax could cause layoffs of 10% of employees. Couldn't you just pass the cost along to the providers?

    Well, I said I thought it was an unfair target of the law, and the law clearly has some issues that I hope everybody can work out after this election is over, i.e. put in malpractice reform, increase flexibility for high-deductible plans with HSA's.


    Auto response from some right wing person: This law is terrible and the whole thing has to be repealed.

    You were just one upped. It's muslim law.
  • Cliffy6745
    Cliffy6745 Posts: 34,075
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Oh god

    You mean Allah. ;)

    :lol:
  • Johnny Abruzzo
    Johnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 12,596
    polaris_x wrote:
    the thing also is that the entire political discourse has become so toxic that it's hard to take anything at face value ... a company may institute layoffs for political purposes under the guise of the tax ... if these companies are publicly traded - it would be interesting to see their financial statements ...

    it should be quite simple ... is demand higher with the tax or not ...

    Perhaps the problem is that the tax started already but the additional people won't be covered until 2014, so there is a gap and layoffs are required to survive the gap.

    I'm trying to be rational here, unlike some people. :roll:
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila,  PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24; Pittsburgh 5/16/25; Pittsburgh 5/18/25

    Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
  • The Fixer
    The Fixer Posts: 12,837
    I would agree that the medical device manufacturers were unfairly targeted in Obamacare. If I happened to work in that industry, I could see why one would be opposed to the law.

    At least if you got laid off or your daughter had a preexisting condition you could get insurance...

    I'm not getting laid off. I did find out that in lue of this news that my Welch Allyn products will incur a 20% price increase. That should really help my sales numbers :roll:

    Combine that with the fact that good, hard-working people are losing their jobs thru no fault of their own...and yeah, it's frustrating
  • Johnny Abruzzo
    Johnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 12,596
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    You were just one upped. It's muslim law.

    Yeah, I can't say I was expecting that. :lol:
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila,  PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24; Pittsburgh 5/16/25; Pittsburgh 5/18/25

    Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
  • Godfather.
    Godfather. Posts: 12,504
    Look what I found. I didn't fact check though.

    Woot

    The word "Dhimmitude" is found in the new health care bill;
    so what does it mean?

    Thought this was interesting and worth passing on.

    Dhimmitude


    Obama used it in the health care bill.
    Now isn't this interesting?
    It is also included in the health care law.

    Dhimmitude -- I had never heard the word until now. Type it into
    Google and start reading. Pretty interesting. It's on page 107 of the
    healthcare bill.  I looked this up on Google and yep, it exists.  It is a
    REAL word.


    Dhimmitude is the Muslim system of controlling non-Muslim populations
    conquered through jihad (Holy War). Specifically, it is the TAXING of

    non-Muslims in exchange for tolerating their presence AND as a coercive

    means of converting conquered remnants to Islam.



    ObamaCare allows the establishment of Dhimmitude and Sharia Muslim
    diktat in the United States . Muslims are specifically exempted from
    the government mandate to purchase insurance, and also from the
    penalty tax for being uninsured. Islam considers insurance to be
    "gambling", "risk-taking", and "usury" and is thus banned. Muslims are
    specifically granted exemption based on this.



    How convenient. So I, as a Christian, will have crippling IRS liens
    placed against all of my assets, including real estate, cattle, and
    even accounts receivable, and will face hard prison time because I
    refuse to buy insurance or pay the penalty tax. Meanwhile, Louis
    Farrakhan will have no such penalty and will have 100% of his health
    insurance needs paid for by the de facto government insurance.
    Non-Muslims will be paying a tax to subsidize Muslims. This is Dhimmitude.


    your post just made hate obama....I thought he was a usless piece of shit.


    Godfather.
  • The Fixer
    The Fixer Posts: 12,837
    BinFrog wrote:
    Well at least that's the entire story.

    Oh, right.

    http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/107878/um ... evice-tax#

    The logic behind the tax was simple: expanding coverage to 30 million new people will bring new business to medical device makers, as it would to insurers, hospitals and drug companies, and so device makers, like those other sectors, would chip in for a share of the cost. Hardly had Obama’s signature dried, though, than medical device makers started agitating against the tax, saying it would force layoffs and undermine innovation


    read the last line...um, that's EXACTLY what has happened here
  • BinFrog
    BinFrog MA Posts: 7,314
    The Fixer wrote:
    I would agree that the medical device manufacturers were unfairly targeted in Obamacare. If I happened to work in that industry, I could see why one would be opposed to the law.

    At least if you got laid off or your daughter had a preexisting condition you could get insurance...

    I'm not getting laid off. I did find out that in lue of this news that my Welch Allyn products will incur a 20% price increase. That should really help my sales numbers :roll:

    Combine that with the fact that good, hard-working people are losing their jobs thru no fault of their own...and yeah, it's frustrating


    The tax is their excuse for layoffs, and they are using layoffs for political purposes.

    Your 20% cost increase is not due to the ~2% tax.
    Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
    Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
  • The Fixer
    The Fixer Posts: 12,837
    polaris_x wrote:
    the thing also is that the entire political discourse has become so toxic that it's hard to take anything at face value ... a company may institute layoffs for political purposes under the guise of the tax ... if these companies are publicly traded - it would be interesting to see their financial statements ...

    it should be quite simple ... is demand higher with the tax or not ...

    you must have missed my OP, which states that Welch Allyn is a private company

    you can't walk into any doctors office in the US without seeing something made by Welch Allyn
  • polaris_x
    polaris_x Posts: 13,559
    Godfather. wrote:
    Look what I found. I didn't fact check though.

    Woot

    The word "Dhimmitude" is found in the new health care bill;
    so what does it mean?

    Thought this was interesting and worth passing on.

    Dhimmitude


    Obama used it in the health care bill.
    Now isn't this interesting?
    It is also included in the health care law.

    Dhimmitude -- I had never heard the word until now. Type it into
    Google and start reading. Pretty interesting. It's on page 107 of the
    healthcare bill.  I looked this up on Google and yep, it exists.  It is a
    REAL word.


    Dhimmitude is the Muslim system of controlling non-Muslim populations
    conquered through jihad (Holy War). Specifically, it is the TAXING of

    non-Muslims in exchange for tolerating their presence AND as a coercive

    means of converting conquered remnants to Islam.



    ObamaCare allows the establishment of Dhimmitude and Sharia Muslim
    diktat in the United States . Muslims are specifically exempted from
    the government mandate to purchase insurance, and also from the
    penalty tax for being uninsured. Islam considers insurance to be
    "gambling", "risk-taking", and "usury" and is thus banned. Muslims are
    specifically granted exemption based on this.



    How convenient. So I, as a Christian, will have crippling IRS liens
    placed against all of my assets, including real estate, cattle, and
    even accounts receivable, and will face hard prison time because I
    refuse to buy insurance or pay the penalty tax. Meanwhile, Louis
    Farrakhan will have no such penalty and will have 100% of his health
    insurance needs paid for by the de facto government insurance.
    Non-Muslims will be paying a tax to subsidize Muslims. This is Dhimmitude.


    your post just made hate obama....I thought he was a usless piece of shit.


    Godfather.

    why do you folks continue to show your lack of independent thought? ... seriously, aren't you embarrassed every time you fall for one of these things?? ... you would think after the first dozen or so - you would take a step back and say - this sounds too absurd even tho I don't like Obama and check it ...

    http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/govern ... andate.htm