In keeping with the trend in med tech to return to basics, Becton, Dickinson and Co. plans to split off its biosciences and diagnostic solutions unit to create two pure-play companies. The ‘New BD’ or RemainCo. will be a focused medical technology company that will include the current company’s medication delivery, specimen management, patient monitoring, pharmaceutical systems, urology, critical care, peripheral intervention and surgery businesses.

Globus Medical Inc. reported it is buying Nevro Corp. in an all-cash transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, which was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies, Globus will acquire all shares of Nevro for $5.85 per share. The transaction represents a total equity value of approximately $250 million.

The U.S. FDA’s device center hasn’t issued news bulletins or guidances in the past week, but the march of device recalls continues apace in the month of February.

When the U.S. CDC and FDA recently removed several webpages and datasets from their websites in compliance with a directive from the Office of Personnel Management, they broke the law and harmed public health and research, according to a lawsuit filed Feb. 4 by Doctors for America.

Site neutral payments under the U.S. Medicare program have been contentious for some time, and Congress seems poised to act on the issue in 2025. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission is wary of making any recommendations as yet — a position that MedPAC may hold pending the collection of additional data.

Medicare Advantage plans have drawn criticism for deviating somewhat from Medicare coverage policies, a question CMS took up in a recent draft rule. In comments to the docket, the Medical Device Manufacturers Association said it sees a need to throw a lasso around such practices, alleging that they may result in beneficiaries receiving more limited coverage than they would in fee-for-service care.