UC Irvine Extension Offers Course In Medical Product Reimbursement

Class Provides Important Instruction for Medical Industry Professionals in Device and Pharmaceutical Development Areas

IRVINE, Calif. – September 30, 2005 – UC Irvine Extension is offering a special course on Medical Product Reimbursement as an elective to its Medical Product Development Certificate program. The two-day class, to be held in October, will provide medical professionals in the areas of device and pharmaceutical development with important information detailing how to ensure reimbursement from Medicare or other third-parties during the critical development stages of new drugs or medical devices.

“Reimbursement is an important issue in seed-stage and early-stage product development for new as well as for established companies,” said Rogelio C. Rodriguez, Director of Engineering and Science Programs for UC Irvine Extension. “In some cases, reimbursement can make or break a new product.”

The Medical Product Reimbursement course will be taught by Emily Cahn and Frederick Cahn.

Emily Cahn, B.A. and COO of BioMedical Strategies, has more than 18 years of experience in business development, market research, competitive analysis, product development, product launches, reimbursement, and government relations. She has worked with senior policy personnel at privation government third party payer organizations including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to ensure appropriate payment for medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

Frederick Cahn, Ph.D. and CEO of BioMedical Strategies, has more than 30 years experience in scientific research, invention, technology and product development, clinical studies, regulatory negotiations, reimbursement, and marketing. Dr. Cahn has served on government peer review committees, university industrial advisory boards, and medical product standardization organizations. He has been a board member at the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials and Medical Devices, the University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials Center, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for Biomedical Engineering.

The Medical Product Reimbursement course is designed for entrepreneurs who are working on a reimbursement strategy for their product, investors who may be evaluating a business model before committing funds or anyone from a company that already markets existing products. Instructors will provide access to relevant clinical and business resources. Reimbursement is a critical factor in the market success of drugs and medical devices, and the course will teach the intricacies of this important process.

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to discuss the benefits of coverage, coding and payment, explain global reimbursement issues, establish a thorough understanding of Reimbursement Coding Systems, and perform economic analysis.

UC Irvine Extension is offering the two-day Medical Product Reimbursement on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., at the UC Irvine Learning Center in Orange, Calif. For more information or to enroll, please log on to www.extension.uci.edu or call (949) 824-6538.

As the continuing education arm of UCI, UC Irvine Extension is dedicated to providing a university-level learning experience for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs to local, regional, and global constituencies. UC Irvine Extension offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support a diverse audience, from a wide selection of academic programs to numerous campus activities. For more information about UC Irvine Extension visit www.extension.uci.edu.