Lifeward Finalizes Personal Exoskeleton Reimbursement Agreement with BARMER, Adding 8.5 Million Covered Lives in Germany
Lifeward (NASDAQ: LFWD) has finalized a reimbursement agreement with BARMER, Germany's second-largest statutory health insurer, for ReWalk Personal Exoskeletons. The agreement covers 8.5 million beneficiaries and formalizes the reimbursement process for medically eligible individuals.
BARMER has already provided 20 ReWalk Personal Exoskeletons to beneficiaries, leading Germany in exoskeleton coverage. This agreement means approximately 45% of people with Statutory Health Insurance in Germany now have coverage policies with defined reimbursement processes for personal exoskeletons.
This development follows recent expansion in reimbursement policies, including Medicare coverage in the U.S. and state coverage in Hungary. Lifeward is positioning itself for further expansion through submissions to Medicare Advantage Programs and other U.S. commercial payers.
Lifeward (NASDAQ: LFWD) ha finalizzato un accordo di rimborso con BARMER, il secondo più grande assicuratore sanitario statale della Germania, per gli esoscheletri personali ReWalk. L'accordo copre 8,5 milioni di beneficiari e formalizza il processo di rimborso per le persone medicalmente idonee.
BARMER ha già fornito 20 esoscheletri personali ReWalk ai beneficiari, diventando leader in Germania nella copertura degli esoscheletri. Questo accordo significa che circa il 45% delle persone con Assicurazione Sanitaria Statale in Germania ha ora polizze di copertura con processi di rimborso definiti per gli esoscheletri personali.
Questo sviluppo segue un recente ampliamento delle politiche di rimborso, inclusa la copertura di Medicare negli Stati Uniti e la copertura statale in Ungheria. Lifeward si sta posizionando per un ulteriore ampliamento attraverso le domande per i Programmi Medicare Advantage e altri pagatori commerciali statunitensi.
Lifeward (NASDAQ: LFWD) ha finalizado un acuerdo de reembolso con BARMER, el segundo asegurador de salud pública más grande de Alemania, para los Exoesqueletos Personales ReWalk. El acuerdo cubre 8.5 millones de beneficiarios y formaliza el proceso de reembolso para personas médicamente elegibles.
BARMER ya ha proporcionado 20 Exoesqueletos Personales ReWalk a beneficiarios, liderando Alemania en la cobertura de exoesqueletos. Este acuerdo significa que aproximadamente el 45% de las personas con Seguro de Salud Público en Alemania ahora tienen pólizas de cobertura con procesos de reembolso definidos para exoesqueletos personales.
Este desarrollo sigue a una reciente expansión en las políticas de reembolso, incluyendo la cobertura de Medicare en EE. UU. y la cobertura estatal en Hungría. Lifeward se está posicionando para una mayor expansión mediante presentaciones a los Programas Medicare Advantage y otros pagadores comerciales en EE. UU.
Lifeward (NASDAQ: LFWD)는 독일에서 두 번째로 큰 법정 건강 보험사인 BARMER와 ReWalk 개인 로봇 외골격에 대한 환급 계약을 체결했습니다. 이 계약은 850만 수혜자를 포함하며, 의료적으로 적격인 개인에 대한 환급 절차를 공식화합니다.
BARMER는 이미 20개의 ReWalk 개인 로봇 외골격을 수혜자에게 제공하여 독일에서 외골격 커버리지에서 선두주자가 되었습니다. 이 계약은 약 독일에서 공적 건강 보험을 가진 사람의 45%가 이제 개인 로봇 외골격에 대한 정의된 환급 프로세스가 있는 커버리지 정책을 갖게 되었음을 의미합니다.
이번 발전은 미국 내 Medicare 커버리지 및 헝가리의 주정부 커버리지와 같은 환급 정책의 최근 확장을 따릅니다. Lifeward는 Medicare Advantage 프로그램 및 기타 미국 상업 지불자에 대한 제출을 통해 추가 확장을 준비하고 있습니다.
Lifeward (NASDAQ: LFWD) a finalisé un accord de remboursement avec BARMER, le deuxième plus grand assureur santé public d'Allemagne, pour les exosquelettes personnels ReWalk. L'accord couvre 8,5 millions de bénéficiaires et formalise le processus de remboursement pour les personnes médicalement éligibles.
BARMER a déjà fourni 20 exosquelettes personnels ReWalk à des bénéficiaires, devenant ainsi le leader en Allemagne en matière de couverture des exosquelettes. Cet accord signifie qu'environ 45 % des personnes ayant une assurance maladie légale en Allemagne disposent désormais de polices de couverture avec des processus de remboursement définis pour les exosquelettes personnels.
Ce développement suit une récente expansion des politiques de remboursement, y compris la couverture Medicare aux États-Unis et la couverture d'État en Hongrie. Lifeward se positionne pour une expansion supplémentaire par le biais de soumissions aux programmes Medicare Advantage et d'autres payeurs commerciaux aux États-Unis.
Lifeward (NASDAQ: LFWD) hat eine Vereinbarung über die Kostenerstattung mit BARMER, dem zweitgrößten gesetzlichen Krankenversicherer Deutschlands, für ReWalk persönliche Exoskelette abgeschlossen. Die Vereinbarung betrifft 8,5 Millionen Anspruchsberechtigte und formalisiert den Kostenerstattungsprozess für medizinisch geeignete Personen.
BARMER hat bereits 20 ReWalk persönliche Exoskelette an Anspruchsberechtigte bereitgestellt und führt Deutschland in der Abdeckung von Exoskeletten an. Diese Vereinbarung bedeutet, dass etwa 45 % der Personen mit gesetzlicher Krankenversicherung in Deutschland nun über Versicherungspolicen mit definierten Erstattungsprozessen für persönliche Exoskelette verfügen.
Diese Entwicklung folgt einer kürzlichen Erweiterung der Kostenerstattungsrichtlinien, einschließlich der Medicare-Abdeckung in den USA und der staatlichen Abdeckung in Ungarn. Lifeward positioniert sich für eine weitere Expansion durch die Einreichung bei Medicare Advantage Programmen und anderen kommerziellen Zahlenden in den USA.
- Secured reimbursement agreement with BARMER, covering 8.5 million potential beneficiaries
- Expanded market reach to 45% of German statutory health insurance coverage
- BARMER has already provided 20 ReWalk Exoskeletons, demonstrating proven demand
- Agreement establishes formal reimbursement process, streamlining future sales
- None.
Insights
The contractual agreement with BARMER marks a pivotal advancement in Lifeward's reimbursement strategy, particularly significant given BARMER's commanding position in the German healthcare market with 8.5 million covered lives. This agreement is especially noteworthy as it formalizes the reimbursement process in Germany's second-largest statutory health insurance system.
The market implications are substantial: With approximately 45% of German statutory health insurance beneficiaries now having defined coverage policies for personal exoskeletons, Lifeward has effectively secured access to a significant portion of Europe's largest healthcare market. BARMER's existing provision of 20 ReWalk devices demonstrates proven demand and established reimbursement pathways, reducing implementation risks.
This development follows a strategic pattern of expanding insurance coverage globally:
- U.S. Medicare coverage establishment
- Hungarian state coverage implementation
- Potential expansion into Medicare Advantage Programs
- Growing commercial payer opportunities
The formalization of reimbursement processes typically accelerates adoption rates and reduces sales cycles, as demonstrated by BARMER's leading position in German exoskeleton coverage. This agreement could serve as a template for other German insurers and European healthcare systems, potentially triggering a domino effect in coverage policies across the region.
From a market penetration perspective, this agreement significantly de-risks the commercialization pathway in Germany and provides a strong foundation for expansion into other European markets. The combination of BARMER's market position and their established track record with ReWalk devices validates both the technology and the reimbursement model, which could accelerate negotiations with other payers globally.
Lifeward signs contractual agreement with BARMER, Germany’s second largest statutory health insurance company, to streamline access to ReWalk Personal Exoskeletons for eligible beneficiaries
Following this agreement, approximately
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. and BERLIN, Germany, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lifeward Ltd. (Nasdaq: LFWD) (“Lifeward” or the “Company”), a global leader in innovative medical technology to transform the lives of people with physical limitations or disabilities, today announced that it has finalized its agreement with BARMER, Germany’s second largest statutory health insurer, to formalize the reimbursement process for the provision of ReWalk Exoskeletons to medically eligible beneficiaries.
“We are extremely pleased to streamline access for eligible individuals with spinal cord injury among the millions of people insured by BARMER.,” said Larry Jasinski, Chief Executive Officer at Lifeward. “As a result of BARMER’s leadership position in the German healthcare market, we believe this agreement will help set a precedent for further expansion of insurance coverage for exoskeletons in Germany and worldwide. In the past year, we have seen an acceleration in reimbursement policies, with Medicare in the U.S., state coverage in Hungary, and now BARMER in Germany. Lifeward is well positioned to further expand access through submissions to Medicare Advantage Programs and other U.S. commercial payers.”
With over 8.5 million insured beneficiaries, BARMER has already provided 20 ReWalk Personal Exoskeletons to beneficiaries in recent years, making it the leading insurer in Germany in terms of coverage for personal exoskeletons. Under this agreement, the reimbursement process and procedures are formally defined for medically eligible beneficiaries to receive a ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton for everyday use.
“This contract offers our policyholders high quality standards, which Lifeward, as a high-performance contractual partner, complies with for every supply. In addition, the contractual agreement enables us to establish sustainable structures in the supply of exoskeletons,” said a representative from the contract department at BARMER.
To learn more about the ReWalk Exoskeleton, please visit the Lifeward website.
About Lifeward
Lifeward designs, develops, and commercializes life-changing solutions that span the continuum of care in physical rehabilitation and recovery, delivering proven functional and health benefits in clinical settings as well as in the home and community. Our mission at Lifeward is to relentlessly drive innovation to change the lives of individuals with physical limitations or disabilities. We are committed to delivering groundbreaking solutions that empower individuals to do what they love. The Lifeward portfolio features innovative products including the ReWalk Exoskeleton, the AlterG Anti-Gravity System, the MyoCycle FES System, and the ReStore Exo-Suit.
Founded in 2001, Lifeward has operations in the United States, Israel, and Germany. For more information on the Lifeward product portfolio, please visit GoLifeward.com.
Lifeward®, ReWalk®, ReStore® and Alter G® are registered trademarks of Lifeward Ltd. and/or its affiliates.
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements may include projections regarding Lifeward's future performance and future regulatory interactions and other statements that are not statements of historical fact and, in some cases, may be identified by words like "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "future," "will," "should," "would," "seek" and similar terms or phrases. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on management's current expectations, which are subject to uncertainty, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of Lifeward’s control. Important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are more fully discussed in the Company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the risk factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K and 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC and other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the SEC. Any forward-looking statement made in this press release speaks only as of the date hereof. Factors or events that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ from the statements contained herein may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. Except as required by law, Lifeward undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Lifeward Media Relations:
Kathleen O’Donnell
VP Marketing & New Business Development
Lifeward Ltd.
E: media@golifeward.com
Lifeward Investor Contact:
Mike Lawless
Chief Financial Officer
Lifeward Ltd.
E: ir@golifeward.com
FAQ
How many beneficiaries are covered under LFWD's new BARMER agreement in Germany?
What percentage of German statutory health insurance now covers LFWD's exoskeletons?
How many ReWalk Exoskeletons has BARMER already provided to beneficiaries?
What recent market expansions has LFWD achieved for ReWalk Exoskeletons?
What is BARMER's position in the German healthcare market?
