Looking at the course of developments — in the healthcare reform "debate" (as it were) and medical technology — it is not a huge leap of judgment to make the following predictions for the ups and downs of healthcare overall and for specific medical technologies. Predictions for the healthcare market A healthcare reform package will [...]
Much has been made lately, at least in headlines, about the amount of money spent by medical device companies in lobbying the U.S. government. ("Medtronic spent over $1M lobbying gov’t in 2Q", "Boston Scientific spent $480K lobbying gov’t in 2Q"). No caveat is placed on these headlines, as if they self-sufficiently scream "too much!" [...]
A WSJ blog post today raises the argument that rationing in healthcare already exists and, despite the negative connotation, we should accept the reality of its existence and effectively formalize it so that it may be accomplished by intent rather than by default, as limited funds simply dictate. Now, this of course harkens back to 1993 [...]
I read a story today in a Minnesota paper about how the state’s formerly booming medical technology industry is slowing to a crawl. Here’s the premise: The medtech industry, long a driver of much business in the region, is now facing third party payers (insurers and Medicare alike) who are now balking at paying for [...]
Over the course of numerous economic cycles and different eras in medical technology development, I have witnessed many trends, some with obviously more staying power, or greater impact, than others. Having a bit of experience in judging the success of prior forecasts (through de novo forecasts that have confirmed prior forecasts), I wanted to [...]
I would be remiss in my discussion of trends in the medical technology industry if I did not note the presentation earlier this year by Stephen Ubl, President and CEO of AdaMed. Where my views are from the inside of medtech — what technology developments and trends are driving the industry, Stephen Ubl’s perspective, "Trends [...]
Reading recent interpretations of “Value-Based Purchasing for Medical Devices“, it is not surprising to see, once again, the conclusion that medical technology is a significant source of rising healthcare costs. We all need to think outside envelope, though. Medical technology drives costs but also provides solutions we cannot resist. The tendency of healthcare cost analyses [...]
There’s no question that, whatever label you place on its current state of malaise, the U.S. economy is not in good shape. The question is asked whether health care should remain a safe haven. After all, there is a downward pressure on prices and there is a latent need for serious reform. At this point, [...]
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