Women's Health
Congress agrees to 2-month “doc fix” | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said that the House will pass a 2-month extension to the "doc fix," a payroll tax break extension saving doctors from a looming cut in Medicare reimbursement payments.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had already started planning the nearly 30% cut for some time next month.
Major shareholders dump Bard stock in Q3
Five major shareholders dumped more than 300,000 shares of C.R. Bard Inc. (NYSE:BCR) during the med-tech maker’s third quarter.
Capital Fund Management, Contravisory Investment Management, Public Employees Retirement Assn. of Colorado, Texas Permanent School Fund and Santa Fe Partners cumulatively sold 324,739 shares for roughly $11.8 million between June 30 and Sept. 30, according to SEC filings.
Acquisitions, buybacks and dividends slated to grow, Moody’s says | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — U.S. med-tech makers are likely to invest in buyback programs and acquisitions and to pursue dividends to maintain shareholder value, according to Moody’s Investors Service.
As pricing pressures continue to weigh on the industry and demand remains soft, medical device makers are likely to look elsewhere to spur growth and keep stakeholders happy.
Sector revenue growth may also remain soft thanks to a weak global economy, MarketWatch reported.
House GOP maintains doc Medicare pay by cutting health laws | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — House Republicans began circulating a proposal to come up with the $38 billion needed to pay for an impending cut in Medicare payments to doctors, Healthwatch reported.
The proposal aims to pay for the payments for two years by increasing rates for high-income seniors on Medicare, repealing unspecified parts of health care reform laws and means-testing.
When autocracy rules
Conceptus names new CEO, lowers 2012 guidance | Personnel Moves
In a sudden switch, Conceptus (NSDQ:CPTS) named Keith Grossman president & CEO upon the resignation of Mark Sieczkarek, whose departure was announced on the heels of lowered sales guidance for 2012.
Sieczkarek’s resignation, after 7 years at the helm, was announced simultaneously with Grossman’s appointment. Grossman will join the company’s board of directors, from which Sieczkarek also resigned.
Former Philips manager charged with taking bribes | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Federal prosecutors charged former Ohio Philips Healthcare (NYSE:PHG) facilities manager Pay Boyce, 63, of accepting bribes from a local construction company.
The charges span 18 years of alleged bribes, including construction work on Boyce’s house and the houses of other Philips employees, tickets to athletic events, trips to Las Vegas and thousands in gift cards from construction company DAS Development Inc.
Breast cancer: Mammography in three dimensions | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Fujifilm Medical Systems launched clinical trials of its 3D digital mammography technology in the U.S. with installation of machines at centers around the U.S.
Trials are set to begin as early as next month, according to a press release. The company announced the launch at a conference of the Radiological Society of North America over the weekend.
Too many robots in the OR? | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Extra robot hands in the operating room may not be conferring much benefit compared to the increased cost in some cases, according to University of Louisville professor Dr. Resad Pasic.
While robot-assisted surgery has boomed in the 6 years since it was approved for gynecological procedures in 2005, the debate about whether the extra cost is really worth it has heated up as well.
Surgical robot brings precision to eye surgery | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A new surgical robot designed to bring ease and precision to eye surgeries may hit the market, if inventor Thijs Meenink can defend his PhD thesis work on the machine.
Meenink, a student at Eindhoven University of Technology, plans to commercialize the novel robot after he obtains his doctorate.