Reimbursement Coverage and Pricing Systems for Single-Use Devices in Asia-Pacific_ Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Australia Compared

In Asia-Pacific countries, as elsewhere, medical device expenditures account for only between 3% and 6% of total health care spending per capita. Yet the contribution of medical devices is essential to delivering improved clinical and economic benefits for patients and health care systems, respectively. We briefly report a selective overview of reimbursement coverage and pricing systems for single-use devices (SUDs) in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Australia, major Asia-Pacific markets with diverse health care systems but similar challenges. Generally speaking, all four health systems are similar in their framework for managing the coverage and reimbursement of SUDs, which are usually bundled into the overall fee designated for a surgical procedure; however, funding guidelines are unclear and decision-making processes opaque. Unfortuee front matter Copyright & 2015, International S