Hillary Clinton may be open to changing a key Obamacare component disliked by the Republican Party.
While speaking before the Advanced Medical Technology Association in Chicago, Clinton, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, told the more than 2,000 industry representatives they “have an argument to make” when it comes to repealing the component.
The component, a 2.3 percent excise tax on devices such as defibrillators and pacemakers, is usually paid by the devices’ manufacturer or importer, according to Bloomberg Politics.
The tax, which raises approximately $29 billion over 10 years to help pay for other parts of the Affordable Care Act, is heavily disliked by both the GOP and the devices’ makers.
“We have to look and see what are the pluses and minuses,” she said. “I don’t know what the right answer about the tax is.”
The association, also known as Avamed, includes some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Abbott Laboratories, Boston Engineering and Baxter.
A position statement on its website about the tax says, “Congress should repeal it before it can do more damage to American Innovation.”
While Clinton overall praised Obamacare, she noted “there is more work to be done” to improve it and the American healthcare system in general.
