Unjust to tax medical devices

By Doug Bennett, Reno

Thursday, March 17, 2016 | 2 a.m.

In April, the Nevada Tax Commission is hearing final testimony on the taxability of home oxygen systems and other home medical equipment. Infant and adult medical equipment must be ruled taxable or nontaxable for patients who are sick, injured or dying at home. The commission must also decide if it agrees with a 1990 Nevada Supreme Court decision that exempted all oxygen administration equipment from taxes. These systems are used to treat conditions such as asthma, sleep apnea, emphysema, lung cancer and cardiac disease.

Most patients suffering from these diseases cannot work and have suffered irreparable financial harm. Their serious medical expenses are made worse by the sales and use tax on life-saving equipment; all this for an estimated .00004 cents per dollar of revenue for the state. The Nevada Department of Taxation’s persistence in finding ways to tax the most vulnerable of our residents on equipment they cannot live without is both cruel and inhumane.