34
In a February 23 article from HealthLeaders Media titled, “Physicians' Ties to IMD Manufacturers Can Ratchet Up Costs”, HSCA President Curtis Rooney discusses medical device contractual confidentiality agreements, or "gag clauses,", saying these agreements lead to hospitals and other healthcare facilities “wearing blinders” in the purchasing process.
The article discusses the recent GAO Report, "Lack of Price Transparency May Hamper Hospitals’ Ability to Be Prudent Purchasers of Implantable Medical Devices," requested by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), which examines the nature of these gag clauses. Baucus says he’s pushing for the medical device industry to have more transparency because “there is too little information available about costs of the implantable devices.”
Rooney adds, "The more people know about the actual costs of these goods and the options they have, the better they are able to incorporate them into clinical care… If you can't talk about prices, then you are in the dark."