Global medical company lays off 100 in US, blames ObamaCare

Global medical technology company Smith & Nephew's offices in Memphis, Tenn. (MyFoxMemphis.com)

A global medical technology company has laid off nearly 100 employees at its offices in Tennessee and Massachusetts and is blaming the layoffs on the medical device tax tied to ObamaCare.

London-based Smith & Nephew said Thursday it laid off fewer than 100 employees between the two offices, which operate as the company's advanced surgical devices unit, according to The Commercial Appeal.

The company specializes in developing orthopedic reconstruction products, has nearly 11,000 employees and operates in over 90 countries, according to its website.

The Affordable Care Act includes a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices, which is expected to raise nearly $30 billion over the next decade. The tax is applied to gross sales revenues.

MyFoxMemphis.com reports that Smith & Nephew released a statement on the layoffs Thursday, explaining that they were necessary to absorb costs associated with the tax.

"Unfortunately, and in order to absorb this cost burden into our business, this has meant less than 100 positions have been made redundant across various departmental functions in our Tennessee and Massachusetts sites," the statement read.

In November, medical supply company Stryker announced it would cut 1,170 jobs, or five percent of its worldwide workforce, in anticipation of costs associated with ObamaCare.

The Advanced Medical Technology Association estimates that the medical device tax could cost up to 43,000 U.S. jobs.

Click here for more from MyFoxMemphis.com.

Click here for more from The Commercial Appeal.