Local Medicare carrier Novitas raised its reimbursement rates for continuous cardiac monitoring, but iRhythm has concluded the rates are still too low and is preparing to discontinue serving this Medicare segment.

Hillrom is reconsidering its planned $375m acquisition of Bardy Diagnostics because of Novitas' plan to cut Medicare reimbursement for extended cardiac monitoring. Bardy is suing to complete the deal.

Seven companies – GE, Medtronic, ResMed, Hill-Rom, Vyaire, Hamilton Medical and Zoll – will manufacture 64,431 medical ventilators under the Defense Production Act at a cost of more than $1.4bn, the US Department of Health and Human Services said on 13 April. That figure, when combined with the $646.7m recently awarded to Royal Philips to make 45,500 vents, means the US government will spend more than $2bn on the devices.

Philips will make 43,000 medical ventilators by the end of 2020 for use in the US and manufacture 2,500 more for the Strategic National Stockpile in a contract worth more than half a billion dollars.