Healthcare Industry News: permanent birth control
News Release - February 14, 2006
Conceptus' Essure Procedure Now Covered by Medicaid in New York, Texas and Wisconsin
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Feb. 14, 2006--Conceptus, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPTS ) announces today that the non-incisional Essure® permanent birth control procedure is now covered by Medicaid in New York, Texas, and Wisconsin, providing low-income or disabled women in these states with a safe, effective means of permanent female sterilization that does not require the general anesthesia, incisions or long recovery period of traditional tubal ligation.The Essure procedure can be performed in a variety of settings, including ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices. The shorter recovery time -- one to two days as compared with four to six days for the traditional laparoscopic procedure -- means a faster return to work or home responsibilities.
Coverage of the Essure procedure enables state Medicaid programs to provide a safe, convenient and economical choice for preventing unwanted pregnancies. This is especially important given the budget constraints most states face on an annual basis.
These states join 33 other states including the District of Columbia now covering the Essure procedure for women enrolled in Medicaid. Conceptus has yet to receive Medicaid decisions for the Essure procedure in the remaining states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and West Virginia.
About the Essure® Procedure
The Essure procedure deploys a soft micro-insert into the fallopian tube through the cervix using a minimally invasive transcervical tubal access catheter. Once in place, the device is designed to elicit tissue growth in and around the micro-insert to form an occlusion or blockage in the fallopian tube. An Essure procedure does not require cutting or penetrating the abdomen and can be performed in a less costly procedure setting without general anesthesia. A woman is able to return home about 45 minutes after the procedure is completed. There is a three-month waiting period after the procedure during which women must use another form of birth control. The Essure procedure is 99.80% effective after four years of follow-up. The Essure procedure has been demonstrated in a small portion of the women undergoing clinical studies to be 99.74% effective based on 5 years of follow-up. Five year follow-up of all patients in clinical trials is ongoing.
About Conceptus
Conceptus, Inc. manufactures and markets the Essure permanent birth control system, an innovative medical device and procedure designed to provide a non-incisional alternative to tubal ligation, which is currently the leading form of birth control worldwide. The availability of the Essure procedure in the U.S. is expected to open up a market currently occupied by incisional tubal ligation and vasectomy, which combined account for over 1 million procedures annually.
Additional information about the Essure procedure is available at www.essure.com or by calling the Essure Information Center at 1-877-ESSURE1. Additional information about Conceptus is available at www.conceptus.com or by calling 1-877-ESSURE2.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements, the accuracy of which is necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties. Discussions regarding the continued availability of Medicaid coverage, and the Company's ability to obtain Medicaid coverage from additional states, among other matters discussed in this release, may differ significantly from the discussion of such matters in the forward-looking statements. Such differences may be based upon factors such as strategic planning decisions by management, re-allocation of internal resources, decisions by insurance companies, scientific advances by third parties, and introduction of competitive products, as well as those factors set forth in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Source: Conceptus
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