Law Question
Less Yappin’, More Zappin’ Problem
You work as a government relations specialist for a company that manufactures a newly approved laser-based medical device used as part of an innovative new surgical procedure. Your company would like to market this device to US health care organizations for use on patients who are likely to benefit from it, according to a recent clinical study. However, health care organizations are likely to purchase the device only if it appears that third-party payers will cover the surgical procedure for which it is used.
Please draft a memo for the company’s board of directors
- explaining the various types of insurance coverage that patients who need the surgery might have;
- explaining how coverage determinations are made by each of these payers; and
- specifying concrete steps the company could take to ensure that as many patients as possible will have access to the surgery involving the device.
