The Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee will meet in Baltimore next month to discuss whether Medicare will continue to pay for bone-growth products used during spine fusion surgery, such as Medtronic's Infuse and Amplify, according to a Minneapolis Star Tribune report.
MedCAC plays an advisory role, recommending to CMS whether there is enough scientific evidence on the success of the technology in order to continue Medicare reimbursement. According to the Millennium Research Group, physicians performed 445,300 spine fusion surgeries on patients last year. Currently, there is not a national policy decision on Medicare's reimbursement of such products.
MedCAC committees are comprised of 13 to 15 experts including both consumers and industry representatives. Larry Biegelsen, Wells Fargo Securities analyst, said in the report that this decision could have an impact on Medtronic's $3.5 billion spine business, and the fact that MedCAC will convene over the issue should raise concerns among investors.
Read the Star Tribune report on MedCAC's decision to meet.
Read more coverage on Medtronic's spine business:
- Companies Challenge Medtronic for Vertebral Compression Fracture market Control
- FDA Panel Votes to Recommend Approval for Medtronic's Amplify Spine Device
- Medtronic, Salient Surgical Technologies Sues Bovie Medical for Patent Infringement
MedCAC plays an advisory role, recommending to CMS whether there is enough scientific evidence on the success of the technology in order to continue Medicare reimbursement. According to the Millennium Research Group, physicians performed 445,300 spine fusion surgeries on patients last year. Currently, there is not a national policy decision on Medicare's reimbursement of such products.
MedCAC committees are comprised of 13 to 15 experts including both consumers and industry representatives. Larry Biegelsen, Wells Fargo Securities analyst, said in the report that this decision could have an impact on Medtronic's $3.5 billion spine business, and the fact that MedCAC will convene over the issue should raise concerns among investors.
Read the Star Tribune report on MedCAC's decision to meet.
Read more coverage on Medtronic's spine business:
- Companies Challenge Medtronic for Vertebral Compression Fracture market Control
- FDA Panel Votes to Recommend Approval for Medtronic's Amplify Spine Device
- Medtronic, Salient Surgical Technologies Sues Bovie Medical for Patent Infringement