Among the AdvaMed study's conclusions: Average inflation-adjusted prices for the 7 biggest medical device categories dropped from 2007 through 2011. The trend has taken place as hospitals have increasingly turned to tighter spending controls. Medical device prices continue at less than 50% of the pace of inflation in the overall U.S. economy. Read more here.
On September 19th, the U.S. Senate passed an amended version of the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, or HR 527, which was approved by the House of Representatives earlier this year. It still needs to be officially signed into law, but this is a major step to averting a helium shortage that had been looming [...]
The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) and the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today led a broad coalition of technology, medical, business and education leaders – including the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) – in delivering a letter to Congress calling for urgent approval of legislation that will secure the nation’s helium supply. Read about [...]
The U.S. Joint Commission has proposed more-stringent requirements in the ambulatory care, critical access hospital, and hospital accreditation programs for facilities that provide CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, and PET services. "Research has indicated that the current Joint Commission requirements need to be enhanced to address several significant quality- and safety-related issues associated with diagnostic imaging," [...]
U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) and Angus King (I-Maine) have joined together to introduce nonpartisan legislation that would direct the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to more accurately reflect the cost-savings of preventive healthcare, including screenings. Read more here.
Following the Washington Post, 7/20 article, How a secretive panel uses data that distort doctors’ pay, legislators submit bill to reshape the way reimbursement for medical procedures is formulated. As reported in the Washington Post, July 23rd, Bill aims to reshape medical pricing, Peter Whoriskey writes, "A bipartisan group of legislators has drafted a bill that would reshape the way the nation pays [...]
On July 20, 2013, Peter Whoriskey and Dan Keating of The Washington Post wrote an article that describes how a panel of doctors within the AMA work in conjunction with Medicare to establish the value for medical procedures. The authors suggest there is less than an arms-length relationship and there may be the appearance of bias on the [...]
On July 8th as reported by the American College of Radiology, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed rule for federal fiscal year (FY) 2014 changes to Medicare’s Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS). For 2014, CMS is proposing to use FY 2011 cost data to establish separate cost centers for computed [...]
Despite delaying for a year the health insurance mandate for large employers, the Obama administration is opposing two Republican-backed bills that would make the administrative move law and expand the delay to individuals and the penalties for noncompliance. Read more about it.
Medtech companies have collectively paid an estimated $1 billion in compliance with the Affordable Care Act's 2.3% medical device sales tax. The 2.3% medical device sales tax has cost the industry an estimated $1 billion so far, according to a report released by a coalition of medical device lobbying groups, which called the milestone "frightening." [...]