Regarding “Bang without the buck?”:

This sounds like a fiscally responsible plan to reduce costs, but has it passed the “federal test”? Large and multispecialty physician practices tried this very same concept of “collaboration” with various group purchasing agreements with pharma companies and medical supply companies, only to be told that the pricing could not be lower than what the government receives for its supply chain at the VA and other federal healthcare facilities ... no matter the volume.

Millions of legal dollars later and during their audit cases, there is no strong proof that the federal inspectors will allow such “collaborative efforts.”

Nadine Banwell
Chief operating officer
Urology Institute of Pittsburgh