St. Jude Medical cutting 300 jobs in reorganization, 80 in Minnesota

pioneer press ^ | 8-31-12 | Christopher Snowbeck

[TurboZamboni]

Little Canada-based St. Jude Medical is eliminating 80 jobs in Minnesota as part of a restructuring plan the company announced Thursday, Aug. 30.

The medical device manufacturer, which employs about 3,000 in Minnesota, said it is providing support to about 300 workers across the company whose jobs have been eliminated. St. Jude Medical competes in the market for heart devices against Fridley-based Medtronic and Natick, Mass.-based Boston Scientific, which makes pacemakers and implantable defibrillators at a division based in Arden Hills.

On Wednesday, a Boston Scientific official said his company is moving forward with previously announced plans to eliminate jobs. In May, Medtronic announced plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs including 250 in the Twin Cities.

[From The Deer Stand]

Obamacare has a new tax on medical devices. Could there be a connection? Hmmmm.

[ClearCase_guy]

At some point, average life expectancy America will start to go down. People will be scratching their heads, asking: “How did George W. Bush do that to us???”

[nhwingut]

All three companies are struggling to grow as heart device sales have slowed from a number of factors. The market for implantable defibrillators -- devices that can cost up to $30,000 each and shock failing hearts back into rhythm -- has suffered from a federal inquiry into whether devices have been overused.

Obamacare. Death Panel. Take a pill.

[TurboZamboni]

The Coming ObamaTax Bomb

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2012/06/29/the_coming_obamatax_bomb

12. Tax on Medical Device Manufacturers ($20 bil/Jan 2013): Medical device manufacturers employ 360,000 people in 6000 plants across the country. This law imposes a new 2.3% excise tax. Exempts items retailing for <$100. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,980-1,986

Obamacare medical device tax killing jobs in the industry
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/07/30/surprise-obamacare-medical-device-tax-killing-jobs-in-the-industry/

Obamacare’s Medical-Device Tax Kills Patients, Not Just Jobs
http://www.forbes.com/sites/aroy/2012/06/06/obamacares-medical-device-tax-kills-patients-not-just-jobs/

[ProtectOurFreedom]

"There are NO Death Panels!"

How many times do we have to tell you that!?
BHO

[fatnotlazy]

I have one of St. Jude's devices plus a transmitter that sends data from the device over the telephone to the cardiologist so he can determine whether the implanted device works properly. However, ever since I switched my phone service to cable, I've had trouble using the transmitter. It does not work well with cable or FIOS or anything other than an old fashioned landline. It seems that St. Jude's technology hasn't kept pace with the latest telephone gadgetry. I guess financial difficulties have made research and development into compatible technology impossible.