Medical device lobby says it’s tired of waiting on Medicare to cover breakthrough devices

Medical technology lobby AdvaMed is fed up with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In a letter sent to the agency and shared with STAT, the group urged CMS to act on finalizing a pathway that would make reimbursement for breakthrough devices easier. 

CMS has been working on implementing the pathway since 2021. A CMS spokesperson told STAT the agency is working “expeditiously” to finalize it. Scott Whitaker, CEO of AdvaMed, said the device industry is tired of waiting.

“I myself have begun to wonder if they’re really serious about doing this, or if they’re just saying they’re serious about doing it for political reasons or otherwise,” Whitaker told STAT.