World's Largest Resource for Cardiovascular Perfusion

Perfusion StaffingPerfusion Staffing
   +1 888-499-5672Login
Perfusion NewswireMobile ZoneUS Medicare Boosts Abiomed Heart Device Payment

US Medicare Boosts Abiomed Heart Device Payment

Mobile Zone, Perfusion Zone

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Abiomed Inc., developer of the first self-contained artificial heart, on Thursday said that the U.S. Medicare program boosted the payment rate to hospitals for its heart pumps.

After complaining to Medicare, the federal health insurance program for 41 million elderly and disabled, the company said the agency boosted reimbursement for the surgery and the device by 35 percent to 40 percent.

The company hopes that Medicare’s move to make it cheaper for hospitals to use the device will encourage use.

The heart pumps, which replace or improve the blood pumping action of the heart, are the company’s major revenue source.

Currently, the U.S. Medicare program pays hospitals $50,000 for the surgical procedure, device and hospital stay.

Leave a Reply

You may also like

Main Zone, Mobile Zone

The Future:Therapy of Myocardial Protection

Recent studies have proposed that old, inexpensive drugs--in human use for decades (e.g., β-blockers and cyclosporine, among others)--can reduce ischemia/reperfusion injury, I/R injury, when administered intravenously before coronary opening. The demonstration of such a cardioprotective effect should have a significant impact in the care of AMI patients.

Join TodayJoin Today