Medtech


May 1, 2025

GKOS: iDose & iStent Policy Landscape

By John Leppard

With GKOS shares down pre-market amid questions on its earnings call last night regarding the Medicare policy issues affecting iDose and iStent sales, we offer the following takeaways: We generally agree with the company that,…

Read More >>

April 29, 2025

[EXAS] Screening Uncertainty Post-SCOTUS?

By John Leppard

Late last week the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ordered the parties in Kennedy v Braidwood – evaluating mandatory cost-free coverage of preventive services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) – to submit…

Read More >>

April 21, 2025

Diagnostics: Supreme Court Quick Takes

By John Leppard

Following oral arguments this morning, we continue to believe that the Supreme Court will preserve HHS authority to enforce mandatory cost-free coverage of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations, preserving the positive status quo…

Read More >>

April 21, 2025

Diagnostics & Supreme Court Expectations

By John Leppard

With the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) to hear oral arguments this morning 10-11 am ET [live stream] on the legality of mandatory cost-free coverage of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations, we reiterate our long-held…

Read More >>

April 17, 2025

Life Science Tools: NIH Headwinds & Congressional Guardrails

By John Leppard

With press reports indicating that the White House will seek NIH funding cuts of more than 40% in its upcoming FY26 budget release, the overhang on life science tools (LST) names [BRKR, ILMN, AVTR, A,…

Read More >>

April 14, 2025

Medtech & Medicare Inpatient Implications

By John Leppard

Friday’s draft FY26 rate rule for Medicare inpatient hospital services brings incremental benefits for the likes of BSX, DXCM, ABT, and MMSI through proposed endorsement of new technology add-on payments (NTAP) that we expect to…

Read More >>

March 31, 2025

Procept Biorobotics: Expecting ~20% Medicare Rate Cut

By John Leppard

With CMS likely to propose a new Medicare physician payment rate for PRCT’s Aquablation in early July – with a final policy in early Nov. and rates effective Jan. 1, 2026 – we expect to…

Read More >>

March 28, 2025

INSP, NYXH, LIVN: Sleep Apnea Coverage Timeline

By John Leppard

We view the delayed approval of Nyxoah’s (NYXH) Genio announced this week as positive for Inspire Medical (INSP) insofar as it not only pushes out competition – albeit to an uncertain extent – but may…

Read More >>

March 21, 2025

EXAS, GH: Colorectal Cancer Coverage in Hand, Edits to Come?

By John Leppard

An update to CMS’s colorectal cancer (CRC) screening National Coverage Determination (NCD) formally establishes coverage for EXAS’ Cologuard Plus ($592) and GH’s Shield ($1,495), with claims processing likely available within 30 days. While we have…

Read More >>

March 20, 2025

EW, ABT: Tricuspid Replacement Coverage Benign

By John Leppard

We view CMS’s final coverage decision on transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) as an incremental positive for Edwards Lifesciences’ (EW) Evoque, in that it eliminates proposed limitations to only those with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR)…

Read More >>