Who: Scott Whitaker, 48
New role: President and CEO of the Advanced Medical Technology Association, a medical-device industry lobbying group. His appointment will be effective on April 4. He succeeds Steven Ubl, who left to become CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
Previous roles: COO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization and president of the annual BIO International Convention. Before joining the biotech lobby, he served in several roles at HHS, including chief of staff and assistant secretary for legislation.
It's complicated: “It's not a simple proposition to develop, discover and deliver (these devices). I think that's critically important for policymakers to understand the right policy in the regulatory environment to help companies be successful in delivering care to patients.”
Tax hurdle: “The device tax is still an issue,” despite the two-year moratorium Congress approved in December, Whitaker said. The tax is a funding mechanism under the Affordable Care Act. “We're really grateful for the work that was done in a very bipartisan way, and while that's a great first step, we need to continue to work on that to get the tax repealed.”
