Strategizing for Reimbursement

Originally Published MX September/October 2002

GOVERNMENTAL & LEGAL AFFAIRS

Strategizing for Reimbursement

According to the experts, starting early and staying involved are two keys to building a successful reimbursement strategy.

Moderated by Steve Halasey

Industry dissatisfaction with the Medicare reimbursement process administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS; Baltimore, MD) has never quite reached the fever pitch of the mid-1990s, when FDA was industry's target. But when the winds of reform are blowing—as they are once again this year—it's a pretty safe bet that reimbursement is likely to get tossed around a bit.

To find out more about how the Medicare system is changing—and how medtech companies can develop the best possible strategies for reimbursement—MX spoke with six experts in the field (see sidebar).

MX: After the passage of the FDA Modernization Act of 1997, many medtech manufacturers turned their attention to the Medicare reimbursement system and determined that it was a broken system that needed to be fixed. Is that still the mood of industry,