=

MDMA and R-Squared Announce Partnership MDMA and R-Squared, an industry leader in compliance consulting and solutions, announced a new, multi-year partnership. R-Squared will serve as MDMA's preferred provider of Evidence-Based Compliance management systems, including programs that demonstrate best practices around financial relationships with, and tracking spending to, physicians and other referral sources. Press Release

Learn more about MDMA membership benefits.

 

MDMA Chairman Joe Kiani, Chairman and CEO of Masimo Corporation, and MDMA Executive Director Mark B. Leahey are included in the “100 Notable People in the Medical Device Industry.” Read more

CMS Releases IPPS Final Rule
August 15, 2008 - CMS recently released the final Inpatient Prospective Payment System rule for 2009. In the final rule, CMS deals with the critical issue of charge compression by separating higher cost devices, regardless of whether they remain within the patient upon discharge, from lower cost prices on Medicare cost reports. Additionally, CMS finalized July 1 as the regulatory deadline by which new medical technologies must receive FDA approval to be eligible for new technology add-on payments.

MDMA supported both of these proposals and believe that they are positive steps to ensuring appropriate reimbursement rates for innovative, medical technologies.
Final Rule

Massachusetts Gift Legislation
August 7, 2008 - The Massachusetts State Legislature recently passed a bill (H. 4974) that includes a state-mandated codes of ethics; restricted spending on meal payments and the training of healthcare professionals; and a new reporting protocol for payments to healthcare practitioners. The legislation threatens to compromise the innovative medical technology industry in Massachusetts and would eventually limit patient access to innovative products.

If your company has a presence in Massachusetts, we strongly urge you to contact Governor Deval Patrick’s office at 617-725-4000 and tell him to veto H. 4974

Congress Delays Medicare Competitive Bidding Program for DME
July 15, 2008 – With the override of the Presidential veto of the Medicare bill, Congress sustained legislation to prevent anticipated reductions in Medicare payments to physicians while delaying implementation of the controversial competitive bidding program. MDMA is pleased that Congress realized the problem structure of the competitive bidding program and the harm to patient access that was to likely occur as a result of implementation of the new reimbursement scheme.

MDMA Expresses Concern Over EU Recasting Initiative
July 2, 2008 - MDMA submitted comments to the European Commission expressing concerns with its medical device recasting initiative. MDMA’s comments reflect the consensus of leading European trade associations who share similar concerns about the detrimental impact of the proposal.
MDMA’s comment letter

MedPAC Agrees with MDMA to Implement Short-Term Fix for Charge Compression
June 19, 2008 - As part of MedPAC’s comment letter to CMS regarding the proposed inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) rule, the advisory committee agreed with MDMA and other device stakeholders that CMS should implement a short-term fix to address the problems associated with charge compression. MedPAC specifically cited the use of a regression-based approach, as suggested in the 2007 RTI report commissioned by CMS, as the most appropriate approach to ensure adequate and timely payments for implantable devices.
MedPAC’s comment letter

Other Recent Headlines

MDMA Submits Comments on Proposed IPPS Rule

FDA Surveillance Will Not Burden Industry, According to Agency Official

Proposed Patent Rules Exceed PTO’s Authority

MDMA Testifies on SBIR Reauthorization

MDMA Joins the National Healthcare Career Network

Please click here to weigh in on these important issues.