Cook Medical pushing for repeal of medical device excise tax
Cook Medical Inc., the largest privately held medical device
company in the world with a tubing plant in Poway, said Monday
that it has joined a coalition that wants Congress to repeal a
legislative measure that would impose excise taxes on its
industry.  The value-added tax wallops the industry with a 2.3
percent tax on the total gross sales reported by medical device
companies, said John Eckberg, a Cook spokesman.  The coalition,
called, estimates that the tax could cost 43,000 jobs across the
country and result in a loss of $3.5 billion in wages.  San
Diego-based medical device makers CareFusion Corp., NuVasive
Inc. and Volcano Corp. also are part of the coalition.  Cook's
Poway plant goes by the name of K-Tube Technologies, and makes
laser-welded stainless steel tubing for medical, aerospace and
automotive industries. The business unit employs more than 100.
The excise tax, which is scheduled to go into effect in January,
could hurt small to m