The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) has published three new reports exploring the medical imaging industry’s impact on state economies. The reports, completed by John Dunham & Associates, examine the economies of Washington, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
In Washington, for instance, the imaging industry supports more than 12,000 jobs and generates more than $1 billion in wages and benefits each year. The “total economic activity” each year is estimated to be $3.14 billion.
“This report reflects the increasingly important contributions Washington workers have made to the medical technology industry,” Dennis Durmis, chair of MITA’s Board of Directors, said in a prepared statement. “Since the medical device tax was suspended in 2015, Washington’s medical imaging industry has generated billions in salaries and wages – activity that provides about $75 million in tax revenue to the state every year. Above all else, this report highlights just how critical it is for lawmakers to safeguard this progress by repealing the medical device tax.”
In Pennsylvania, the imaging industry supports more than 36,000 jobs and generates more than $2.5 billion in total wages and benefits each year. Total economic activity is estimated to be nearly $10 billion.
“Pennsylvania elected officials have been leading the way on efforts to suspend the medical device tax, and this report demonstrates why—the medical imaging sector has a profound impact on the Pennsylvania economy,” Durmis said in a separate statement. “Medical imaging employs thousands of Pennsylvanians and these annual full-time salaries average nearly $100,000, a significant contribution to the tax base and economic engine in towns and cities across the commonwealth. This report underscores why permanently repealing the medical device tax, once and for all, is crucial for Pennsylvania’s continued economic growth.”
In Massachusetts, meanwhile, the medical imaging industry supports nearly 26,000 jobs and generates more than $2 billion in total wages and benefits each year. Total economic activity is estimated to be nearly $7 billion.
“Massachusetts plays an integral role in our healthcare economy, both at the state and national levels,” Brian Johnson, president of the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council, said in a separate statement.
Johnson also tied the industry’s huge impact to the need for a total repeal of the country’s medical device tax.
“The knowledge explosion fueled by research and development taking place in Massachusetts increases access to innovative technologies for patients across the country and around the world,” he said. “By repealing the medical device tax, Congress can help ensure that this sector and the workers it supports can continue to thrive.”
The full reports for Washington, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are all available on MITA’s website.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.