In an April 1 letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, America’s Essential Hospitals joined other health care organizations in urging the administration to exempt medical supplies, equipment, and devices from a series of tariffs imposed by President Trump.
The letter notes the existing financial pressures on essential hospitals and expresses concern that increased costs of medical supplies could “impede our ability to improve treatment outcomes, foster innovation, and meet the growing needs of pediatric and adult populations.”
The signers also committed to working with the administration to advance policies that improve health outcomes.
The president’s April 2 executive order did exempt many pharmaceutical products; however, products not included on the exemption list, including other medical supplies, are subject to tariffs based on the product’s country of origin.
The letter to Ambassador Greer also was signed by AdvaMed, the American Association for Homecare, the American Dental Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, Conquering Congenital Heart Disease, the Health Industry Distributors Association, the Preeclampsia Foundation, Prevent Cancer, and the Sepsis Alliance.
Contact Director of Policy Rob Nelb, MPH, at rnelb@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
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