How Ascalon Works
Ascalon engagements draw on a trusted network of specialist collaborators — bringing payer-side operational experience, marketing and value-communication expertise, and prior authorization and appeals support alongside Steve's two decades in device reimbursement. Clients get senior judgment on every project, with the right depth behind it.
Who We Are:
Ascalon Market Access is an independent market access and reimbursement consultancy serving medical device companies and their investors — from first funding conversations through launch and beyond.
Steve St George, President
Steve has spent more than 20 years getting medical technology paid for — inside three Fortune 500 device companies (Abbott, Boston Scientific, Zimmer), at a startup, at a reimbursement consulting firm, and since 2023, through Ascalon.
That history matters because of what it taught him: reimbursement problems are rarely what they first appear to be. A coding question is usually a language question. A coverage denial is usually an evidence question. A payment gap is usually a question of which setting a procedure lives in — and all of them are solvable with an understanding of the gaps and a strong strategic plan.
Steve's approach is the one he learned managing reimbursement for entire product portfolios: read every word, know the history behind every code and policy, give clients the honest risk picture, and never confuse the answer they want with the answer that holds up under audit — or acquisition due diligence.
He is a regular speaker on medical device reimbursement and publishes ongoing analysis of Medicare payment rules as they drop.
The Market Access Model
Market access is more than reimbursement. The market includes providers, patients, competitors, and standards of care. Payers — government and private — hold ultimate control over access through coverage policy, payment rates, and how coding is applied. A market access strategy that works combines persuasion, education, and influence, built on a solid understanding of the reimbursement landscape.