Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
For a discussion of our potential risks and uncertainties, see the information in Part I, Item IA. “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. Other than the risk factors set forth below, there have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
If we fail to retain our key executives or recruit and hire new employees, our operations and financial results may be adversely affected while we attract other highly qualified personnel.
Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to continue to retain our executive officers and other key employees and recruit and hire new employees. All of our executive officers and other employees are at-will employees, and therefore may terminate employment with us at any time with no advance notice. In particular, we are highly dependent upon our management team, especially our President and Chief
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Executive Officer and the rest of our senior management. The replacement of key personnel involves significant time and costs, may significantly delay or prevent the achievement of our business objectives and may harm our business. In addition, we do not carry any “key person” insurance policies that could offset potential loss of service under applicable circumstances.
Transitions in executive leadership can adversely affect relationships with our customers, suppliers, and employees, make it difficult to attract and retain talent, and disrupt execution of our strategy, sales growth, and our efforts to enhance our operations. Additionally, such transitions can require significant payments to recruit and attract qualified employees to join our company and may involve severance payments to certain departing employees. Changes in key management positions may temporarily affect our financial performance and results of operations as the new management becomes familiar with our business and establishes their team dynamic. For example, in February 2024, we appointed a new Chief Executive Officer who replaced our prior Chief Executive Officer, who had been in the role for 17 years. We experienced some disruption within the sales organization at the time of the Chief Executive Officer transition, which led to decreased productivity and higher salesforce turnover, as well as the termination of employment of our Senior Vice President of U.S. Sales. Since the beginning of the second quarter of fiscal 2024, we have hired new leaders for sales, medical affairs, clinical, reimbursement and human resources, completing the expansion of the executive team. Accordingly, our future financial performance will depend on our ability to attract, motivate, integrate and retain our senior management and employees.
In addition, many of our employees have become vested in a substantial amount of stock or number of stock options. Our employees may be more likely to leave us if the shares they own or the shares underlying their vested options have significantly appreciated in value relative to the original purchase prices of the shares or the exercise prices of the options, or if the exercise prices of the options that they hold are significantly below the market price of our common stock.
Although non-compete agreements are becoming more disfavored and, in some cases, banned, many executive officers and employees in the medical device industry are still subject to strict non-compete or confidentiality agreements with their employers. In addition, some of our existing and future employees are subject to confidentiality agreements with previous employers. Our competitors may allege breaches of and seek to enforce such non-compete agreements or initiate litigation based on such confidentiality agreements. Such litigation, whether or not meritorious, may impede our ability to attract or use executive officers and other key employees who have been employed by our competitors and may result in claims against us.
If third-party payors do not provide adequate coverage and reimbursement for the use of Barostim, our revenue will be negatively impacted.
Medicare reimbursement levels are important to increasing adoption of Barostim because nearly two-thirds of the target patient population for Barostim is over the age of 65. On January 1, 2024, Barostim was reassigned to New Technology APC 1580, which carries an average payment amount of $45,000. In July 2024, CMS proposed OPPS rules for 2025, including moving Barostim procedures back to APC 5465, which would reduce the average payment amount for Barostim to $31,000. We believe the data supports creation of a Level 6 Neurostimulator APC and will work with CMS with the goal of achieving this, or alternatively, leaving Barostim in New Technology APC 1580 for another year. In August 2024, CMS reassigned the Barostim implant procedure for the inpatient setting as part of the IPPS final rule for CMS’ Fiscal Year 2025, which took effect on October 1, 2024. On that date, Barostim was reassigned to MS-DRG 276, which carries a national average payment of approximately $43,000, a significant increase from the previous payment range of $17,000-$23,000, which is expected to facilitate increased access to the therapy for patients with heart failure. Additionally, the American Medical Association's CPT Editorial Panel approved new Category I codes for Barostim therapy, expected to take effect January 1, 2026. Any future decline in the amount Medicare is willing to reimburse our customers for procedures using Barostim could make it difficult for new customers to adopt Barostim and could create additional pricing pressure for us, which could adversely affect our ability to invest in and grow our business. From time to time, physicians and hospitals have in the past experienced, and others may experience, delays in Medicare reimbursement, which have delayed or may delay their willingness to schedule additional Barostim procedures.
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Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.