4 stories this morning, for surgeons and the people who support them.
- HHS OIG: Medicare Advantage plans under-screen out-of-network equipment suppliers, who bill seven times more for orthotics than enrolled suppliers — The HHS Office of Inspector General published a report finding that Medicare Advantage organizations screen out-of-network DMEPOS suppliers less often than in-network ones, because MA plans are barred from requiring suppliers to be enrolled in Medicare. Across six MA organizations there were 21,029 DMEPOS suppliers, nearly 8,000 out of network; average monthly orthotics billing was $210 for Medicare-enrolled suppliers versus $1,399 for out-of-network suppliers. Two MA organizations said out-of-network providers accounted for nearly all fraud schemes. OIG recommends stronger out-of-network screening, prospective use of the preclusion list, and requiring Medicare enrollment (or seeking statutory authority to do so); CMS concurred with or will consider all recommendations. Trade coverage September 15: https://www.medtechdive.com/news/oig-urges-crackdown-on-equipment-suppliers-in-medicare-advantage/830403/ and https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/oig-urges-crackdown-on-equipment-suppliers-in-medicare-advantage/830387/ Source
- Zimmer Biomet proposes cutting up to 580 jobs at its Winterthur, Switzerland plant — most of the site — Reported September 14: Zimmer Biomet proposed a restructuring of Swiss manufacturing that could cut up to 580 of roughly 700 positions at Winterthur, the site it acquired in the 2003 Centerpulse deal. No final decision has been made; the company has opened collective consultation with the works council. Zimmer frames it as simplifying its manufacturing footprint and supply chain, and is concurrently building a Costa Rica plant. Prior reductions at the site: 130 positions moved to Zug in 2020, 73 jobs cut in 2022. Corroborated by MassDevice (https://www.massdevice.com/zimmer-biomet-plans-to-cut-580-jobs-in-switzerland/) and SWI swissinfo.ch (https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/pharma-health/zimmer-biomet-plans-to-cut-up-to-580-jobs-in-winterthur/92035037). Source
- Paradromics says the first Connexus BCI participant is using the implant for real-time, self-generated speech — Announced September 14: Paradromics reports that the first participant implanted with its Connexus intracortical brain-computer interface — a Michigan woman in her 60s with motor neuron disease and severe dysarthria, implanted June 2026 — used the system for real-time speech and text, answering open-ended questions in her own words and taking a live phone call with family. The Connect-One Early Feasibility Study runs under an FDA IDE granted November 2025, led by UC Davis Health with Mass General Brigham and University of Michigan Health. The company also reports distinguishing neural patterns of attempted versus imagined speech. These are company claims, not a peer-reviewed publication. Also carried by BioSpace: https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/paradromics-achieves-real-time-speech-with-connexus-brain-computer-interface Source
- Arthritis Care & Research: fully automated MRI cartilage segmentation separates knees headed for replacement at least as well as expert manual analysis — Felix Eckstein's group at Paracelsus Medical University (Salzburg) published in Arthritis Care & Research (doi:10.1002/acr.80140) a comparison of fully automated deep-learning cartilage segmentation against manual expert segmentation for separating knees that went on to total knee replacement from matched controls. On DESS MRI (132 knees per group): automated 263 micron thickness loss, SRM -0.63, versus manual 259 micron, SRM -0.64. On FLASH MRI (35 knees per group): automated 316 micron, SRM -0.93, versus manual 200 micron, SRM -0.46. Groups matched for age, sex and radiographic status. Source
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