Resources for Legislators

The Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) represents the nation’s leading healthcare group purchasing organizations (GPOs) – the sourcing and purchasing partners to virtually all of America’s 7,000+ hospitals, as well as the vast majority of the 68,000+ long-term care facilities, surgery centers, clinics, and other healthcare providers. GPOs aggregate the purchasing power of healthcare providers to deliver critical cost savings that allow healthcare providers to focus on their core mission: providing first-class patient care.

Below please find background on the supply chain and our policy priorities. Materials considered essential are marked with an asterisk.

• Supply Chain 101 Infographic* – Provides an overview of the flow of contracted product and administrative fees;
• Infographic: How GPOs Work – Details how GPOs operate and how they provide cost-savings for the healthcare industry;
• HSCA Research and Analyses Overview – Overviews all the relevant research and analyses on GPO cost savings and the GPO business model;
• Acute and Non-acute Care Maps* – Maps of acute and non-acute care facilities that utilize a GPO;
• Liebowitz Study and One-Pager* – Study conducted by former FTC Chair Jon Liebowitz that found GPOs save money and promote competition;
• 2014 Dobson and DaVanzo Study and One-Pager* – Study that found GPOs save the healthcare industry $55 billion annually;
• One-Pager: Safe Harbor Overview* – Overview on the GPO Safe Harbor and the vendor fee model;
• One-Pager: Comparison of GPOs and PBMs* – Details the key differences between GPOs and PBMs;
• One-Pager: How GPOs Help Prevent and Mitigate Drug Shortages – Overview on how GPOs work with suppliers, providers, and government officials to prevent and mitigate drug shortages;
• Drug Shortage Working Group Readout – Summary of policy recommendations put forth by members of the Drug Shortage Working Group on ways to address drug shortages;
• American Hospital Association 2014 National Survey Report and One-Pager – Independent survey of hospital executives and their perspectives on GPOs;
• 2018 Burns Study and One-Pager – Independent research conducted by supply chain experts at the Wharton School which found that hospitals are consistently satisfied with their GPOs.