Medtech


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…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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)…

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March 12, 2025

Guardant Health (GH): Next Steps on Shield

By John Leppard

With the Medicare rate for GH’s Shield colorectal cancer (CRC) screening test set to increase 62% on April 1 ($920 to $1,495) following designation yesterday as an Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory Test (ADLT) – in line…

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March 5, 2025

Life Science Tools: Court Intervention & NIH’s New Management

By John Leppard

Events today support our view that NIH grant funding benefitting life science tools (LST) manufacturers will likely stabilize, and that the Trump administration’s Feb. 7 announcement of a 15% cap on indirect costs for all…

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March 3, 2025

[DXCM, OMI, AHCO] Glucose Monitors in the Crosshairs?

By John Leppard

We anticipate risks for manufacturers [DXCM, ABT] and suppliers [OMI, AHCO] of continuous glucose monitors (CGM) beginning this spring / summer, given that: The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) will likely publish the results…

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