While U.S. hospitals are pressuring medical-device companies to lower costs on high-tech implants, they're often negotiating from a weak position because they don't know what they should be paying.
Manufacturers closely guard prices hospitals pay for complex products such as replacement joints and heart devices, making it tough for other hospitals to judge the market. Industry critics believe improving transparency would benefit hospitals that are often outmatched by big companies with close ties to product-choosing doctors.
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