Scott Davis: Okay. Yes. Understood. So I think two parts to this question. One, one important and clear indicator is that the HCPCS code, K1007, has been approved, so doctors can prescribe against this code. That hasn’t changed. That was announced back in November time frame. And what we’re waiting for is final payment determination on a fixed amount. In the interim, what will happen along with any Medicare submission that comes through, there will need to be some backup of commercial pricing documentation, historical commercial pricing documentation. So along with the approval request from the doctors will be a package that also includes recent purchases of the equipment. And again, at Ekso, we have several years of documentation that we can provide them supporting a reimbursement rate that could be viewed by CMS.
So in general, the process is there. It’s really considered a case-by-case until final price determination has been set. But in the interim for those, who are putting claims in now, it will need to be accompanied by that commercial pricing information.
Ben Haynor: Okay. And so do you have any thoughts on potential reluctance to write prescriptions as there’s — it’s under a case-by-case basis? Or don’t you think that really has an impact?
Scott Davis: Yes. So in general, we’re not anticipating a reluctance per se. Again, this is — the reimbursement of an exoskeleton as a brace through a lump sum is a new program through CMS to begin with. So we’re early on in the process. Ekso has spent a decade building strong relationships with our health care provider network that’s out there. We will continue to work with them to ensure they have the information that they need for the best opportunity to have a claim reimbursed. And again, generally speaking, we have had a very positive reaction by our health community regarding this program.
Ben Haynor: Okay. Got it. So basically, early adopters are early adopters regardless of whether it’s on a case-by-case basis or not for the most part. Is that fair?
Scott Davis: Yes, it is fair. Correct.
Ben Haynor: Okay. Got it. That’s very helpful. And then I think you talked about this in your deck, and I think you mentioned in your last conference call, we had 160,000-odd Medicare patients that had SCIs. What’s your thoughts on the — those that are truly addressable and the sort of subpopulations that may be particularly addressable and how easy those are to go after? Any color there would be helpful.
Scott Davis: Sure. I think there’s a certain level of physicality and there’s a screening process that individuals go through to ensure that they are good candidates for the technology. I think the way to look at any program in its infancy like this is that early on, we anticipate a smaller percentage of individuals will go through the process, maybe 5%. And then longer term, we see this as in the 10% range as a general rule of thumb around this. There’s — it will be — certainly, it will reveal itself more as we start to work through the program.
Ben Haynor: Okay. And is that kind of 5% to 10% driven by — more by new SCIs happening and more of the patients getting the Ekso personal exoskeletons shortly after their injury rather than maybe they’ve had an SCI for 25 years or 10 years, whatever it might be?
Scott Davis: It’s really a combination. There are things like bone density and cardiovascular health and there’s a number of elements that actually go into it. And no two individuals with spinal cord injuries are alike. I mean, you could have someone who’s had an injury for a long period of time, but they’ve also done a lot to stay active. It really is driven on a case-by-case basis. But we have — in working with our health care providers, we’ve provided good guidelines that can be used to help determine who is a candidate for the technology.
Ben Haynor: Okay. Got it. And then lastly, just a follow-up on that. On those folks that may not fit the bill in terms of cardiovascular health or bone density, is that kind of a set number of new occurrences where, 20%, just right off the top, they’re never going to qualify? Or is there some certain x percent that there’s just absolutely no shot at?
Scott Davis: Well, again, I think, Ben, I’m not a medical expert in terms of that, but the guidance that the general information that we’ve received over the years is that, yes, I mean, there is a certain portion of the SCI population that absolutely just as where the technology is just are not candidates for any of it. We need to make sure that whomever is doing this, that there is not a chance that it’s going to injure them in any way. Patient safety is first and foremost in our minds and in the minds of their health care providers. So again, our arduous screening processes that have been developed, and we developed these through the VA program. That’s been around for multiple years, this has managed to get quite a number of vets into the technology and also maintain a high degree of safety.
So we’re really relying on our — on the health care providers and — to ensure that we’re maintaining that high level of safety, but putting the most people possible into the program where this technology could potentially help them.
Ben Haynor: Okay, makes sense, turn it off. That’s it for me. Thanks for taking the questions, gentlemen, and good luck with CMS.
Scott Davis: Appreciate it, Ben. Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. There are no further questions at this time. I’ll turn the floor back to Scott Davis for closing remarks. Thank you.
