Uncategorized


October 15, 2024

[INSP, LIVN, NYXH] Sleep Apnea: Codes, Coverage, & Value Accretion

By John Leppard

Key Takeaways: We suspect Inspire Medical’s (INSP) next-generation Inspire V implant procedure can secure Medicare coverage / reimbursement under the legacy product’s billing code [CPT 64582: $816], where the shorter procedure time should increase physicians’…

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October 14, 2024

Trump Tariff Scenarios

By Joe Lieber

We want to offer a competing view to some comments in a recent CNBC.com article highlighting that tariffs by President Trump may come sooner than expected if he wins in November. We, in fact, think…

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October 14, 2024

Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule – Full Reprieve Near Term Unlikely, Potential for Smaller Relief

By Beth Steindecker

Key Takeaways: Nursing homes and their post-acute care REIT landlords have legal and legislative reasons to be hopeful about efforts to kill CMS’ minimum staffing rule, but we are skeptical they will secure a full…

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October 11, 2024

Cannabis Update: Take Tilray’s (TLRY) CEO’s Comment with a Grain of Salt

By Joe Lieber

Despite comments during an earnings call yesterday by Tilray’s (TLRY) CEO, who said with regard to the two presidential candidates and the elections that “something will happen in regards to Federal legalization, whether it’s medical…

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October 11, 2024

[LLY, NVO] GLP-1s & CBO Data Dive

By John Leppard

Key Takeaways: We continue to think legislation to allow Medicare Part D coverage of anti-obesity medications (AOMs) [Eli Lilly (LLY), Novo Nordisk (NVO)] is unlikely to pass this year, despite the relatively modest budgetary estimates…

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October 11, 2024

Negative Tone Confirmed for CY25 Medicare Advantage Stars and Beyond as Goalposts Continue to Move

By Beth Steindecker

Key Takeaways: As we expected, CMS’s release of the CY25 Medicare Advantage (MA)/Part D star ratings continues to limit program “largesse,” making bonus awards more selective and ratings harder to maintain YoY. For CY25, fewer…

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October 10, 2024

Potential Top Officials in a Harris Administration

By Joe Lieber

With our view that the odds slightly favor Vice President Kamala Harris winning the presidency in November (see here), we offer a comprehensive list of potential candidates for key Cabinet and other important positions below. …

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October 9, 2024

Harris’ In-Home Care, Vision, Hearing Aid Medicare Coverage Proposal – Likely an Undelivered Promise

By Beth Steindecker

We are skeptical of enactment for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign proposal to add a Medicare in-home care benefit, along with vision and hearing aid coverage, even if she were to win (our base case)…

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October 9, 2024

Exact Sciences (EXAS): Rate Reversal Prospects

By John Leppard

Key Takeaways: With FDA’s early approval of Exact Sciences’ (EXAS) Cologuard Plus last week coming on the heels of CMS’s preliminary rejection of EXAS’s requested 25% rate increase ($636) relative to the legacy product ($509),…

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October 9, 2024

Exact Sciences (EXAS): Rate Reversal Prospects

By John Leppard

Key Takeaways: With FDA’s early approval of Exact Sciences’ (EXAS) Cologuard Plus last week coming on the heels of CMS’s preliminary rejection of EXAS’s requested 25% rate increase ($636) relative to the legacy product ($509),…

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