MDMA Looks Ahead: MDUFMA, Reimbursement, Gainsharing and More
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, JANUARY 22, 2007
This afternoon MDMA held its monthly call, outlining policy changed that are on the horizon for 2007. We've outlined some of their comments below:
MDUFMA
Negotations for MDUFMA II have been ongoing since February of 2006. The FDA has recently proposed $302 million in fees over five years, a figure which MDMA believes to be unsustainable. The device industry's goals, as summarized by MDMA, are to achieve improved performance in exchange for reasonable fees.
FDA
The MDMA anticipates a heightened emphasis on postmarket activity.
In the call, MDMA called unique "device tracking "not a matter of if, but when," and encouraged the device community to participate in the dialogue of what types of devices should receive which kind of tracking system.
Reimbursement
MDMA is looking for an "open and transparent" coding process under prospective payment systems. They encouraged listeners to attend CMS' February Town Hall meeting to learn more about IPPS, OPPS and ASC payments.
Our guide to reimbursement is here.
GPOs
MDMA says scrutiny of GPOs is building, and they're looking for this momentum to "reform, not do away with" GPOs. MDMA wants to see safe harbor provisions repealed and a system that isn't funded by suppliers.
For more on the GPO debate, plase see our GPO report.
Gainsharing
The new Congress may mark a turning point for gainsharing: two past champions of the programs, Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and Bill Thomas (R-CA), weren't re-elected and retired, respectively.
To close the call, MDMA thanked its membership for their support and urged listeners to continue their commitment to shaping medical device policy in the coming year.
