State, Federal Policy Should Exempt Medical Devices from ‘Right-to-Repair’ Movement
by Julianne Malveaux, president of PUSH Excel | MedCity News
Delaware may soon become the latest state to pass so-called “right to repair” legislation without including an exemption for medical devices. Legislators and policymakers at the state and federal levels should understand the risks that come with classifying life-saving medical devices like CT, MRI, and PET scanners with other forms of technology. While the right to repair may sound good on paper, allowing nearly anyone to service and repair highly sophisticated medical technology opens up patients, providers, and our entire healthcare system to serious risks.
Purportedly designed to help lower maintenance costs and encourage repair and replacement, right to repair legislation has been having a moment in state legislatures across the country. To date, more than two dozen states have either passed or are currently considering right to repair legislation. The overwhelming majority of these bills have carveouts for lifesaving medical devices, but not Delaware.