It's been over a year since VHA launched its orthopedic implant program—and nearly two years since Premier launched its program. To date, neither program has delivered the kinds of business, say insiders, that their manufacturer partners had hoped for, reinforcing the sentiment in some circles of the orthopedics industry that unless a hospital group owns its hospitals, getting compliance on these contracts is too difficult.
DePuy's decision earlier this fall to end its participation in the VHA program underscores the compliance issue for implant companies....