The Advanced Medical Technology Association has issued a statement on the new Government Accountability Office report titled "Medicare: Trends in Beneficiaries Served and Hospital Resources Used in Implantable Medical Device Procedures."
The AdvaMed statement on the GAO report (pdf) was attributed to Ann-Marie Lynch, executive vice president for payment and healthcare delivery policy.
The following was attributed to Ms. Lynch in the statement:
"It's clear implantable medical devices improve patient health, save lives and deliver tremendous value to the overall health system. This report adds important new data for policy makers and others to consider.
"The report repeatedly finds advancements in medical technology allow patients to recover more quickly, often in home settings. Shortening recovery times is not just good for patients but can help to reduce overall health care costs. The report found the average length of stay for beneficiaries receiving implantable orthopedic medical devices decreased considerably across all health status groups.
"The report also found that even with an increase in the number of admissions of beneficiaries in poorer health, overall, the length of hospitalizations did not increase."
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