Stock Slides as Boston Scientific’s Watchman Hit by Restrictive CMS Coverage Decision

Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) shares took a hit yesterday after a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposal that would limit coverage for the Watchman anti-stroke device. Investors also likely reacted to a pair of Class II recalls from the FDA, sending BSX shares down -4.2% to $18.01 apiece yesterday.

Watchman, a transcatheter implant designed to seal off the left atrial appendage to prevent the formation of blood clots that could cause stroke, was approved by the FDA in March and asked for a CMS coverage decision in May. The federal health insurer proposed to limit coverage for Watchman to patients in approved clinical trials who can’t take warfarin, an anti-coagulant drug.

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