Health Care Reform: The Excise Tax Was Only the Beginning

The excise tax has been the medical device industry's main concern about pending health care reform, but other changes are taking place that will alter the market and potentially have a greater impact on sales and profits than the 2.3% tax. Specifically, device manufacturers' customers are at the beginning of changes that will alter reimbursement from the CMS to reflect adherence to standards of "best medical practices" tied to quality patient outcomes.