The Government announced today the first 11 recipients from the $35 million BioMedTech Horizons program.

The program aims to support the development of new and innovative technologies by Australian medical technology (MedTech) companies.

The Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) today welcomed the findings of the Senate Inquiry into the price regulation associated with the Prostheses List Framework.  Last year in Australia more than 2.5 million surgeries took place, and for each and every one of these surgeries innovative medical technology played a part.  As the committee report itself states, medical devices account for only 14 cents in every dollar paid in private health insurance reimbursements.  Overall, spending on life enhancing medical devices accounts for only 1.2% of the entire Australian health budget.  The Senate Committee report clearly reflected the complexity of the issues involved in medical device pricing and rejected the slash and burn approach advocated by the private health insurers.  The recommendations of the report are sensible and MTAA supports them.