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INSIDE
APRIL/MAY 2017 Vol. 10 No. 2 VEINTHERAPYNEWS.COM
Velano Vascular raises $17 million 8 Cardiologist wins 100K BSN-JOBST AVF grant 8 FDA warns of MACE event risk with Absorb BVS 12 Physician blasts Novitas LCD 27 ACP PRO Venous Registry: 19,000 patients plus 30
An ACP recognized resource for news and information for and about the phlebology community
ACP mobilizes to oppose Novitas draft LCD By Keith A. Darby, CAE, CMA, CFE
advocating for the society in matters relating to Medicare, insurance companies and thirdparty payer issues. At each opportunity, the ACP has expressed its interest in working with these organizations by providing content experts to help the carriers develop policies for the treatment of the disease process that are consistent with the scientific literature, and is committed to generating greater clinical data and evidence through the ACP PRO Venous Registry and through collaboration with other registries. More than ever, in an environment of limited public resources and concerns about overutilization, we must rely on the available peer-reviewed evidence to demonstrate medical necessity and best practices in the treatment of superficial and deep venous disease.
The landscape of insurance is changing, with a current focus on cost cutting strategies that disregard scientific evidence and a trend towards greater consistency in policies that are administered by some of the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs). As a result, a compelling need exists for the advocacy efforts of the American College of Phlebology (ACP) to oppose all such egregious policies, as they may be mirrored in whole or in part by other MACs. A direct stance must at times be taken in order to advocate for access to evidence based care for our patients. Recently, the ACP has started to take a more hands-on approach towards
ACP MOBILIZES
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UNETHICAL VEIN CARE
Is vein care following the path of hemorrhoids? By Jeffrey H. Miller, MD “The first step is admitting you have a problem.” And when it comes to ethical vein care, we have a problem. With the increased number of vein practitioners and
clinics across the country, we must address this dilemma immediately. The good news is that the topic is getting publicized at national meetings as well as in print. The bad news is that if we don’t do anything about it, others will. Our battles
with insurance carriers for coverage of indicated procedures may only get worse.
TEMPTATION OF FRAUD Sadly, “The sins of the few often cause the punishment of the many,” and this applies to
the field of medicine. Sweeping legislation and onerous regulation punishes physicians who would practice ethically without such UNETHICAL VEIN CARE
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Vascular Solutions…
Teleflex completes $1B deal The $1 billion acquisition of Vascular Solutions by Teleflex closed Feb. 17 after Vascular Solutions shareholders approved the deal the day before. Teleflex Inc., a global provider of medical technologies for critical care and surgery, and Vascular Solutions, a medical device company that focuses on developing clinical solutions for minimally invasive coronary and peripheral vascular procedures announced on Dec. 2, 2016, a definitive agreement for Teleflex to acquire all of the issued and
outstanding shares of Vascular Solutions common stock for $56 per share, in cash. The combination of products is expected to accelerate the growth of Teleflex’s vascular and interventional businesses by its entry into the coronary and peripheral vascular market, as well as increased cross-portfolio selling opportunities to both Teleflex and Vascular Solutions customer bases. TELEFLEX
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