Medicare Payment Falls Short for Urgent Blood Safety Measures, Hindering Future Innovation; Press Briefing Oct. 15

10/8/2002

From: Jeff Ezell, 202-434-7243, e-mail: jezell@AdvaMed.org Randy Burkholder, 202-434-7269, e-mail: rburkholder@AdvaMed.org, both of AdvaMed

News Advisory:

Leaders in the blood banking and medical communities will hold a briefing on Tuesday, October 15 at the National Press Club to discuss the findings of a new report that illustrate how problems with Medicare payment policies for blood and blood screening products could have a serious impact on the development of new tools to combat such pathogens as West Nile Virus from threatening America's blood supply.

New and evolving threats to the safety of the blood supply will demand new generations of technologies to keep blood safe. Between 1999 and 2002, the West Nile Virus has killed 143 people and infected more than 2,700 in the United States. Public health officials are assessing the threat this disease poses to recipients of blood transfusions. Adequate reimbursement for hospitals and blood centers is critical to the continued development of blood safety technologies.

AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, commissioned The Lewin Group, a prominent health policy research firm, to conduct the analysis.

WHO: -- Pamela G. Bailey, president, AdvaMed -- Cliff Goodman, Ph.D., lead author, The Lewin Group -- Karen Shoos Lipton, CEO, American Association of Blood Banks -- Paul Ness, M.D., director, Transfusion Medicine, Johns Hopkins University -- David Perez, president, Gambro BCT

WHAT: Press Briefing

WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 15 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. (lunch served at noon)

WHERE: National Press Club - Washington, D.C. 529 14th Street, NW, Zenger Room

NOTE: Due to limited seating, all reporters who plan to attend the press briefing must RSVP with Jeff Ezell at 202-434-7243 or jezell@advamed.org. Embargoed copies of the report and press briefing telephone dial-in numbers will be available upon request to reporters located outside of the D.C. metropolitan area.

AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, represents more than 1,100 innovators and manufacturers of medical devices, diagnostic products and medical information systems. Our members produce nearly 90 percent of the $71 billion health care technology products consumed annually in the United States, and nearly 50 percent of $169 billion purchased around the world annually.