'Repealing the medical device tax is important for the industry'

From user fees and the medical device tax to increased worries about cyberattacks, 2017 is shaping up to be a busy year for the medical device industry. Having just completed his two-year term as Advanced Medical Technology Association board chairman, Vincent Forlenza is bullish on the industry's ability to tackle these priority issues. As CEO of Becton, Dickinson and Co., Forlenza supports the current iteration of medical device user-fee amendments in front of Congress. He also said the industry will continue to push for repealing the Affordable Care Act's medical device tax, either as part of full replacement bill or a stand- alone measure. Forlenza recently sat down with Modern Healthcare's Adam Rubenfire to talk about his tenure as AdvaMed chair and how the industry can support customers in a changing healthcare environment. The following is an edited transcript.