In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted. On August 2, 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011 was signed into law, which, among other things, includes reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect on April 1, 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, including the BBA, will remain in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken. On January 2, 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, which, among other things, reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years.
We expect additional state and federal healthcare reform measures to be adopted in the future, particularly in light of the new Trump administration which has stated its intent to make some changes to the regulatory landscape overseen by, for example, the HHS, including the FDA, any of which could, among others, change product approval pathways, or limit the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for healthcare products and services, which could result in reduced demand for our products or additional pricing pressures.
Cost Containment Measures
Our products are directly distributed by our sales personnel to our healthcare provider customers. We may be directly reimbursed by third-party payors, including Medicare, Medicaid, private payors and other healthcare-related organizations, for the lease of our devices. There have been and continue to be proposals by the federal government, state governments, regulators and third-party payors to control or manage the increased costs of healthcare and, more generally, to reform the U.S. healthcare system. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit a company’s revenue generated from the sale of any approved products.
On August 2, 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011 was signed into law, which, among other things, includes reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect on April 1, 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, including the BBA, will remain in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken. However, pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, and subsequent legislation, these Medicare sequester reductions are suspended from May 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 14, 2021, the Act to Prevent Across-the-Board Direct Spending Cuts, and for Other Purposes, extended the sequestration suspension from April 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
On January 2, 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, which, among other things, reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. Further, recently, under the former Trump administration, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed, and enacted federal and state legislation designed to bring transparency to product pricing and reduce the cost of products and services under government healthcare programs. At this time, it is unclear whether the current administration will continue to pursue legislative and/or administrative measures to control product costs.
Additionally, regional healthcare authorities and individual hospitals are increasingly using bidding procedures to determine what products to purchase and which suppliers will be included in their healthcare programs. CMS also continues to implement a competitive bidding program (“CBP”) enacted under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 that applies to certain suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies. Under the CBP, suppliers that operate in a designated bidding area are required to submit electronic bids for certain products; CMS awards contracts to suppliers that offer the best price and meet applicable quality and financial standards. At this time, it is unclear whether the CBP will have an impact on the pricing or the commercialization of our current or future products.
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