Growing popularity of gainsharing brings pushback from manufacturers.

A battle is brewing between docs and manufacturers over gainsharing. A study shows that the concept of sharing savings from standardization of medical devices is gaining popularity with doctors, but manufacturers are not quietly accepting the erosion of their long-held influence with physicians. Although the study was published in October 2005, the issue is still emerging. Splitting the difference In a gainsharing arrangement, hospitals standardize their use of various devices to negotiate lower prices with manufacturers, and then split the first-year savings with participating physicians. So far, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has approved gainsharing arrangements on a case-by-case basis, but support is growing at HHS and in Congress for a wider application of the concept.