The important reform to Medicare, the federal health-care program that provides coverage for more than 42 million Americans, including most seniors, are important for biotechnology companies to understand fully as they bring a new generation of therapies to market. The session will focus on how implementation of the Medicare reform legislation has already affected and will continue to affect the biotechnology industry in the following critical areas: new Medicare prescription coverage under Part D; new delivery mechanism for products under the Medicare competitive acquisition program (CAP); Medicare hospital outpatient payment reform; and evolving standards for Medicare coverage.



Objectives:

Review the impact of Medicare payment policy on patient access to the innovative products of the biotechnology industry.

Explore how the changing and evolving Medicare landscape may affect the development of new biotechnology products.

Discuss how biotechnology leaders can effectively engage in the debate on improving patient access under Medicare.