STAT+: Vanderbilt medical center warns suppliers not to raise prices due to tariffs, or they may not get paid

Amid growing anxiety over tariffs, Vanderbilt University Medical Center has warned its suppliers that any sudden price hikes attributed to the levies will be rejected unless a company can justify its move — and even then, it may not get paid.

The Trump administration’s tariffs on goods from around the world — as well as its plans to impose steep tariffs on the pharma industry specifically — has alarmed the many companies that produce drugs and devices, given that their supply chains often rely on components and ingredients made in numerous countries. As a result, hospitals and health plans are concerned those price hikes could be passed on to them, although VUMC is taking a particularly aggressive stance, according to industry sources.

“We want to make it as clear as possible that Vanderbilt University Medical Center Health System does not intend to accept price adjustments due to tariff adjustments. We expect our suppliers to honor their existing pricing agreements,” wrote Teresa Dail, the chief chain supply officer at the academic medical center, which is based in Nashville, in an April 16 letter.

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