8 things for spine surgeons to know for Thursday

Updated Monday, July 28th, 2014

Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for July 24, 2014.

10 new spine procedures proposed for ASC payable list
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the 2015 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Policy Changes and Payment Rates earlier this month, and they include 10 new spine procedures, including neck spine fusion & removable c2 and neck spine fusion.

Shareholders sue Medtronic over Covidien deal
Medtronic shareholder Lewis Merenstein filed the suit objecting to the "reverse merger" structure of the company's $42.9 billion acquisition of Covidien. The transaction will convert Medtronic shares into shares of a new company — Medtronic PLC — that includes Covidien. The lawsuit alleges this plan will cause substantial loss for Medtronic stockholders.

AxiaLIF saves $3,500 compared to TLIF
Baxano Surgical's AxiaLIF procedure, a pre-sacral interbody fusion procedure, is compared to transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion in the analysis, which also found that AxiaLIF shortened hospital stays and reduced hospital readmissions.

UNC School of Medicine wins $6 million CMS grant for Better Back Care program
The program will create a medical neighborhood linking approximately 60 primary care providers with the UNC spine program, an existing team of 10 specialty providers. The grant is part of the second round of CMS' Health Care Innovation Awards.

SpineGuard revenue drops 6 percent in 2014 so far
The drop is primarily due to the Euro/Dollar parity, with a short-term unfavorable context in the United States. Around 50 percent of the company's units were sold in the United States, which accounts for 71 percent of the company's revenue.

Stryker 2nd quarter net sales up 6.8 percent, despite MAKO challenges
The company reported 6.8 percent growth in net sales for a total of $2.4 billion in the quarter. Acquisitions also accounted for around 2.1 percent of the company's growth. Last year Stryker acquired MAKO Surgical for $1.65 billion; this year the company has made a few other acquisitions, including Small Bone Innovations. Despite the growth, however, net sales were unfavorably impacted by 2 percent due to price changes.

Dr. Charles Schwertner to lead Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Dr. Schwertner practices at Little River Healthcare's Georgetown (Texas) Orthopedics. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and member of the Williamson County Medical Society and Texas Orthopaedic Association.

Healthcare spending slowdown to reverse in 2014, study finds
From 2009 to 2012, healthcare spending declined from 17.4 percent of gross domestic project to 17.2 percent, according to the National Center for Policy Analysis. However, preliminary estimates — based on National Income and Product Accounts data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — show healthcare spending went back up to 17.4 percent of GDP during the first quarter of 2014.

More Articles on Spine:

Hospital for Special Surgery Names Dr. Todd Albert Surgeon-in-Chief
Costs for SI Joint Disruption, Sacroiliitis About $270M Over 5 Years
The Robotic Difference: How New Technology Could Impact Spine

8 Things for Spine Surgeons to Know for Thursday — July 23

Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for July 23, 2014.

10 new spine procedures proposed for ASC payable list

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the 2015 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Policy Changes and Payment Rates earlier this month, and they include 10 new spine procedures, including neck spine fusion & removable c2 and neck spine fusion.

https://www.beckersspine.com/spine/item/21602-10-new-spine-procedures-proposed-for-asc-payable-list

Shareholders sue Medtronic over Covidien deal

Medtronic shareholder Lewis Merenstein filed the suit objecting to the "reverse merger" structure of the company's $42.9 billion acquisition of Covidien. The transaction will convert Medtronic shares into shares of a new company — Medtronic PLC — that includes Covidien. The lawsuit alleges this plan will cause substantial loss for Medtronic stockholders.

https://www.beckersspine.com/orthopedic-a-spine-device-a-implant-news/item/21592-shareholders-sue-medtronic-over-covidien-deal-5-key-concepts

AxiaLIF saves $3,500 compared to TLIF

Baxano Surgical's AxiaLIF procedure, a pre-sacral interbody fusion procedure, is compared to transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion in the analysis, which also found that AxiaLIF shortened hospital stays and reduced hospital readmissions.
https://www.beckersspine.com/orthopedic-a-spine-device-a-implant-news/item/21590-axialif-saves-3-5k-compared-to-tlif-4-points-from-economic-analysis

UNC School of Medicine wins $6 million CMS grant for Better Back Care program

The program will create a medical neighborhood linking approximately 60 primary care providers with the UNC spine program, an existing team of 10 specialty providers. The grant is part of the second round of CMS' Health Care Innovation Awards.

https://www.beckersspine.com/spine/item/21549-unc-school-of-medicine-wins-6m-cms-grant-for-better-back-care-program

SpineGuard revenue drops 6 percent in 2014 so far

The drop is primarily due to the Euro/Dollar parity, with a short-term unfavorable context in the United States. Around 50 percent of the company's units were sold in the United States, which accounts for 71 percent of the company's revenue.

https://www.beckersspine.com/orthopedic-a-spine-device-a-implant-news/item/21530-spineguard-revenue-drops-6-in-2014-so-far-but-there-are-reasons-to-remain-optimistic-5-things-to-know

Stryker 2nd quarter net sales up 6.8 percent, despite MAKO challenges

The company reported 6.8 percent growth in net sales for a total of $2.4 billion in the quarter. Acquisitions also accounted for around 2.1 percent of the company's growth. Last year Stryker acquired MAKO Surgical for $1.65 billion; this year the company has made a few other acquisitions, including Small Bone Innovations. Despite the growth, however, net sales were unfavorably impacted by 2 percent due to price changes.

https://www.beckersspine.com/orthopedic-a-spine-device-a-implant-news/item/21575-stryker-2q-net-sales-up-6-8-despite-mako-challenges-5-things-to-know

Dr. Charles Schwertner to lead Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee

Dr. Schwertner practices at Little River Healthcare's Georgetown (Texas) Orthopedics. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and member of the Williamson County Medical Society and Texas Orthopaedic Association.

https://www.beckersspine.com/sports-medicine/item/21574-dr-charles-schwertner-to-lead-texas-senate-health-and-human-services-committee

Healthcare spending slowdown to reverse in 2014, study finds

From 2009 to 2012, healthcare spending declined from 17.4 percent of gross domestic project to 17.2 percent, according to the National Center for Policy Analysis. However, preliminary estimates — based on National Income and Product Accounts data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — show healthcare spending went back up to 17.4 percent of GDP during the first quarter of 2014.

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/study-healthcare-spending-slowdown-to-reverse-in-2014.html

8 things for spine surgeons to know for Thursday

More Articles on Spine:

Featured Learning Opportunities

Featured Webinars

Featured Whitepapers

Most Read - Spine