Standard procedures for conducting Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee panel reviews must be developed if future panel recommendations are to hold any chance of ratification, several members of MCAC's Executive Committee maintained at a Dec. 8 meeting.

Medtronic's Interstim sacral nerve stimulation device for urinary incontinence treatment will not be reviewed as previously scheduled during the Health Care Financing Administration's Jan. 19-20 Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee meeting, agency staffers report.

The addition of the question “Was this device serviced by a third party servicer?” to adverse event reports filed through the US FDA’s electronic Medical Device Reporting system could prove helpful for the agency and device makers, experts tell Medtech Insight. Industry has long complained about poor work performed by servicers – and loudly groused that they’re not regulated.