Healthcare experts anticipated policy shifts in 2025, but many have been surprised by how quickly extensive changes have come. Health systems, MedTech companies, and payers are all being challenged to gauge the financial and clinical impacts of recent announcements.
A prime example of this is the effect newly-announced tariffs will have on supply chains. Reshoring manufacturing will be difficult for all industries, but especially for medical devices, as FDA inspection and certification are required for any new production facility. Changes in device costs will significantly impact health systems and patients, and the industry is just beginning to understand the effects. J&J estimates $400 million in additional costs in 2025 from tariffs, and Abbott predicts the cost to be “a few hundred million dollars.”
To add complexity, the situation is constantly changing; some recent policy announcements have been rescinded, while other jarring changes may still be in store. These disruptions affect not just existing devices and treatments, but also the development of new technologies, which in turn affects the treatment options available to patients.
While MedTech companies address manufacturing questions, they must also respond to their customers' challenges. The American Hospital Association highlighted increasing financial pressure on hospitals and health systems from rising labor costs and inflation outpacing reimbursements, among other factors. Value analysis committees (VACs) already closely scrutinize medical device costs against clinical and financial benefits, and they will become even more cautious now. Large capital purchases in particular will likely slow significantly.
MedTech companies that are able to use key market insights to address this unease will gain a significant strategic advantage over the competition. The ability to see the entirety of patient diagnoses, treatments, providers, and sites of care gives MedTech sales teams the unique ability to demonstrate how their specific technology - from minimally invasive treatments to robotic surgery systems - can deliver better financial and clinical outcomes.
Presenting this comprehensive view of patient journeys to health system executives who suspect they have challenges with patient leakage but are unable to quantify it, for instance, enables MedTech companies to position themselves as market experts. This builds long-lasting consultative relationships with health systems, which is highly valuable in a difficult market.
MedTech companies also must have a complete view of their own operations so they can mitigate potential risks while still finding new opportunities. But as our VP of Product Ross Feinstein recently pointed out, traditional forecasting methods often fall short, especially in a volatile market. Sales reps who may now face pressure to negotiate pricing changes or manage shrinking inventory won’t have the time to keep up with manual data entry using cumbersome tools.
Even in the best of times, these tools burden busy reps with administrative tasks, and when adoption inevitably drops, commercial leaders lose visibility into both opportunities and risks. This blind spot can be significantly damaging.
Getting timely, accurate data from the field gives sales leaders the information they need to answer critical questions around cash flow and available supply. The last thing a MedTech company wants right now is to be caught off guard by a sudden shortage and face a tough decision about which account gets a delivery and which one doesn’t, especially if they have incomplete field data.
Commercial teams that use intelligence platforms to easily track sales activities and opportunities with just a few clicks will have a distinct advantage in this market. Mobile-friendly and easy to use, these systems increase rep adoption and improve field data accuracy, providing the best view into revenue forecasting, opportunities, and risks.
MedTech companies cannot afford to wait and see what results from market or policy changes. Startups and growth companies in particular may not have the cash reserves to withstand a dip in sales. At AcuityMD, we've purposefully built our Medtech Intelligence Platform to provide the market insights companies need to uncover their best opportunities, while providing workflows to help them close more deals faster.
Our partners at Profound Medical are leveraging our platform to develop deeper insights, such as referral patterns, and identify key stakeholders along the care continuum, from urologists and radiologists to outpatient facilities. Their sales team is using this information to clearly show the clinical and financial benefits of their new technology to healthcare executives. This strategy has them punching well above their weight, increasing return on investment, and creating a strong foundation for future growth, even in today’s environment.
One particular growth opportunity can be found in ambulatory surgery centers, which continue to perform more procedures each year. As we detailed at AAOS 2025, the COVID pandemic initially drove more procedures into ASCs, but patient and provider preferences have sustained this trend. When Pristine Surgical introduced their new, single-use arthroscope, they knew it was a great fit for ASCs, but their team had little experience with this market. Using AcuityMD, not only were they able to pinpoint the regions with high arthroscopic volume, they focused on specific facilities struggling with reinfection rates, knowing those centers would find value in the sterility a single-use device offers. The market insights provided by AcuityMD enable MedTech companies to continue driving growth, even in challenging markets.
This isn't the first time the MedTech industry has faced intense pressure and uncertainty. As we look ahead to the rest of 2025, making decisions based on strategic, insightful data will separate the MedTech companies that merely survive from those that thrive.
At AcuityMD, we remain committed to providing the tools and insights that enable this approach. By working closely with MedTech customers, we can help them not only weather this storm but develop new tactics that will help them emerge stronger and better positioned to serve their customers and, ultimately, patients.
The challenges that the healthcare industry faces are significant, but they also create opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and stronger partnerships. Together, we can transform uncertainty into clarity and obstacles into stepping stones toward a more resilient healthcare ecosystem.
Mike Monovoukas
CEO and Co-founder
AcuityMD
