FY 2007 Budget In Brief
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Lab competitive bidding: The Bush administration proposes to introduce market competition into the purchase of laboratory services used to diagnose Medicare beneficiaries in its FY 2007 budget request, released Feb. 6. The measure is expected to save $1.4 bil. by 2011. American Clinical Laboratory Association President Alan Mertz contends that the proposal is premature, as there is no data on which to base expectations of savings, given that the demonstration project for the program, as mandated under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, has yet to get off the ground (1"The Gray Sheet" Dec. 5, 2005, p. 13). According to Mertz, two "metropolitan statistical areas" for the demonstration project likely will be announced this month with the demo slated to begin in early 2007. The project is scheduled to last for three years...
You may also be interested in...
Bush’s 2008 Budget: More For FDA Device Center, Less For Medicare Updates
President Bush's fiscal year 2008 budget request, submitted to Congress Feb. 5, includes nearly $7.2 million in new funds and three new staff positions for FDA medical device activities
Bush’s 2008 Budget: More For FDA Device Center, Less For Medicare Updates
President Bush's fiscal year 2008 budget request, submitted to Congress Feb. 5, includes nearly $7.2 million in new funds and three new staff positions for FDA medical device activities
Reimbursement In Brief
Carotid stenting NCD opened: CMS considers expanding coverage for Abbott Vascular's Xact carotid stent system in a national coverage decision opened Aug. 2. Guidant's endovascular business, since acquired by Abbott, requested in a March 31 letter that CMS cover carotid stenting in symptomatic, high surgical risk patients with carotid artery stenosis >50%, and in asymptomatic patients with stenosis >80% that would remove a stipulation in CMS' March 2005 coverage decision that patients with 50%-70% symptomatic stenosis be enrolled in an FDA-approved clinical study (1"The Gray Sheet" March 21, 2005, p. 14). Guidant cites "new and growing evidence" in its request for reconsideration. Consistent with CMS' request that new evidence be made public, Abbott writes in a June 14 letter that results from the Guidant sponsored ARCHeR trial and CAPTURE post-market registry are expected to be published in peer-reviewed journals within the next six months. CMS says this coverage decision will also consider formal accreditation processes for carotid stenting facilities. Initial comments are due Sept. 1, with a proposed decision expected in February...