Congress should repeal the device tax
Cancer recovery is brutal. I should know. I spent six years undergoing numerous surgeries, as well as countless medical imaging scans, which guided each of the 28 radiation treatments I would eventually receive. Without modern medical diagnostic tools such as MRIs and CT/PET scans, I would almost certainly not be alive today.
That’s why I commend Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., for introducing the Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2019 (S. 692). This legislation would repeal the medical device tax, a policy which threatens to undermine the kinds of medical innovations that have saved countless lives, including my own.
For those of us who’ve endured the anxiety of living scan to scan, we know that medical innovation is what makes the difference when it comes to life-saving treatment. By repealing the device tax, we can help ensure that future generations of patients can access these wonderful innovations. I thank Mr. Toomey for fighting for patients and survivors like me and urge other senators to support this important and necessary legislation so those who live scan to scan continue receiving world-class care. MARK JUDGE Bridgeville
It is reassuring to read articles such as the May 20 PG article, “’For so Long, it’s Been Really Not Talked About,’” highlighting the importance of recognizing and treating postpartum depression.
In the United States, one in nine pregnant women experience symptoms of postpartum depression. However, it is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, with 60% of symptomatic women not receiving a diagnosis, and 50% of those with a diagnosis not receiving any treatment.
Women in the U.S. experience multiple barriers to receiving treatment for postpartum depression, one being a lack of knowledge about the signs and symptoms of depression and where and when to seek help. Five U.S. states have already enacted mandates for providing perinatal depression education, requiring providers caring for pregnant and postpartum women to provide them information about depression.
While it is encouraging to see Pennsylvania birth centers addressing postpartum depression, the state needs to pass legislation to ensure women have equal access to education and treatment for postpartum depression so they can live long and happy lives alongside their families. MEAGAN LEOPOLD Shaler