Last night, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Ruling which, for the first time, classified certain continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems as durable medical equipment (DME) under the Medicare Part B benefit. This Ruling, which is binding on all CMS and HHS components including contractors, is a critical step in securing […]
Read MoreOn January 6, 2017, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) released its final rule entitled Standards for Medical Diagnostic Equipment, as required by Section 4203 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). These standards are intended to ensure that diagnostic equipment used in “physician’s offices, clinics, emergency rooms, hospitals, and […]
Read MoreIn 2015, CMS implemented a prior authorization process for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) items that are frequently used unnecessarily. The agency released an initial master list of 135 DMEPOS items subject to the new requirements on December 30, 2015, which met the following criteria: Are paid off the Medicare DMEPOS fee […]
Read MoreToday, CMS announced the Round 1 2017 suppliers for Medicare’s Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. These 182 contracts with suppliers comprising 534 locations in the nine metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) making up the Round 1 competitive bidding areas will be effective January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2018. The product […]
Read MoreOn October 24, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they will be implementing and extending indefinitely the Parallel Review of medical devices pilot program. The two agencies are looking for nominations from manufacturers of innovative medical devices to participate in the program. Parallel […]
Read MoreOn September 21, 2016, the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing to discuss the rising price of EpiPens. The two witnesses at this hearing were Heather Bresch, the Chief Executive Officer of Mylan, Inc., and Dr. Doug Throckmorton, the Deputy Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the […]
Read MoreEarlier today, the Pew Charitable Trusts hosted a panel discussion on potential payment reforms for the Medicare Part B prescription drug payment. The panel featured opening remarks from Dr. Patrick Conway, Acting Principal Deputy Administrator, Deputy Administrator for Innovation and Quality, Chief Medical Officer, at CMS. Following Dr. Conway’s remarks, a panel featuring Dr. Peter […]
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