Japan's R-zone likely to shrink in 1998
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
A reduction in the reasonable discounting rate for medical devices, or R-zone, will almost certainly be a primary objective of Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare at the next major round of price revisions in April 1998. While prospects for market expansion in 1997 and 1998 continue to be positive, government plans to reform Japan's health insurance system and curb spending growth could have a negative impact on profitability, says the US Health Industry Manufacturers Association's Global Medical Technology Update.