Healthcare Finance News reported that healthcare providers are taking a conservative approach to their capital budgets as they prepare for changes to reimbursement models.  As a result, capital spending in 2013 will likely be flat or slightly down compared to 2012 as predicted by experts at several healthcare group purchasing organizations according to the report

The report quotes Mike Clemens, vice president of Texas-based supply contracting firm Novation, saying that while spending is expected to be tight in 2013, changes to budgeting patterns make it difficult to pinpoint what exactly is going to happen. But overall Clemens said he anticipates that capital spending in 2013 will not be much different than 2012.  

The article also cites a recently released report from Premier Healthcare Alliance which indicates 74% of survey respondents – primarily hospital C-suite and materials and practice area managers – indicated the largest factor motivating reduced spending growth is reimbursement cuts.