Abbott has reported double-digit net sales in the 2010 second quarter, which ended June 30, but only saw net earnings of 0.3 percent over the 2009 second quarter.
Boston Scientific has settled three patent disputes with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) for $1.73 billion.
With the exception of evaluation and management services, nearly all services that cardiologists perform will see cuts ranging from 10 percent to more than 40 percent for individual services phased in over four years, according to the just-released Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule. The cuts will be phased in over a four-year period, which is a slight change from the proposed rule.
Boston Scientific has reported positive financial earnings for its fiscal 2009 second quarter, which ended June 30. The Natick, Mass.-based medical device company booked a net income of $158 million this quarter, compared with $98 million in the second quarter of 2008.
Abbott today settled all outstanding intellectual property litigation with Medtronic. Under the terms of the settlement, Medtronic will pay Abbott $400 million and $42 million to evYsio Medical Devices, based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Boston Scientific has received FDA approval to market its Taxus Liberte Long paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent system, a drug-eluting stent (DES) designed for long lesions.
Abbott posted its financial results for the second quarter, which ended June 30, showing a 2.6 percent decrease in net earnings--to $1.29 billion from $1.32 billion in the same period last year.
Abbott has received CE Mark for its next-generation Xience Prime everolimus-eluting coronary stent system for the treatment of coronary artery disease. The company plans to launch Xience Prime in a varied size matrix, with lengths up to 38 mm, in the third quarter across Europe.
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Medical imaging overutilization--a growing concern in the U.S.--exposes patients to unnecessary radiation, while also adding to rising healthcare costs, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Radiology. In an interview, William R. Hendee, PhD, lead author, reviewed various methods by which medical imaging could be curtailed.
Dedicated contrast-enhanced (CE) breast CT delivered significantly improved conspicuity of malignant breast lesions, including ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), compared with unenhanced breast CT and mammography, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology.
CT, ultrasound and MRI have helped shift biopsy techniques away from more invasive approaches toward image-guided percutaneous techniques, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology. The trend toward less-invasive approaches translates into enhanced safety and efficiency and could lead to more interaction between patients and radiologists.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) EHR incentive payments are not considered reimbursement for money expended on EHR technology, but are intended to offset the cost associated with adoption and ongoing meaningful use, according to CMS during an Aug. 12 webinar.
Funding incentives for EHR use is the main goal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) meaningful use initiative, and there are incentive programs for both hospitals and eligible professionals, according to Elizabeth Holland, health insurance specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services, who spoke during a CMS-sponsored webinar Aug. 8.
Stage 1 requirements for meaningful use incentives aim to strike a balance between the overall goal of EHR use and widespread adoption, while avoiding added work, said Jonathan Teich, MD, PhD, chief medical informatics officer at Elsevier Health Services, during a HIMSS webinar titled “Meaningful Use: Safety and Quality of Care.”
