By  Brad Passell, VP, Strategic Accounts & Client Value

I had only been at SpendMend for a couple of months when the world shut down.

Like everyone in healthcare, I remember that moment. The rush. The fear. The scramble to keep operations moving with no margin for error.

But unlike many other healthcare professionals, our role at SpendMend was different. We weren’t on the front lines of patient care—we were behind the scenes, working to protect financial stability when it was under siege.

So we built a playbook. Fast. And it worked.

Now, as we see a new wave of disruption taking shape—this time from tariffs—we’re reaching for that playbook again. Because once again, the pressure is real.

Just last week, Cardinal Health reported a 45% drop in medical segment profits, driven largely by “macro-economic pressures, including tariffs.” One line in that article hit hard: Cardinal took a $300 million tariff-related charge—and in response, cut 150 jobs.

Let that sink in: $300 million in tariff impact. Real dollars. Real people. And just at one system.

This isn’t a hypothetical – this is what the financial stress looks like in our industry. And unfortunately, this is just one example.

According to a recent Advisory Board survey:

• 82% of healthcare executives expect costs to rise by at least 15% in the next six months
• 90% say they’ll be forced to pass those costs on to insurers and patients

Admittedly, this data is a few weeks old, but it still serves as a stark warning: health systems are bracing for a financial storm.

Here’s what makes it even more frustrating: many hospitals already have protection built into their contracts with language that limits how and when vendors can raise prices or add surcharges. But unless you have visibility into actual invoice-level billing—it’s almost impossible to enforce.

That’s where SpendMend is flexing our old playbook… and helping.

Right now, we’re working with hospitals and health systems to:

• Compare real invoice pricing against contract terms
• Flag non-compliant increases tied to tariffs or surcharges
• Review agreements to understand what’s allowed—and what isn’t
• Detect overpayments and recover missed rebates
• Create a roadmap to protect the bottom line without compromising care

If you don’t have the tools to see what’s happening in your billing, you may already be absorbing costs you didn’t agree to. And it’s happening fast. And if we’ve learned anything since that first shutdown, it’s this: waiting isn’t an option.

Hospitals don’t just need visibility—they need vigilance. They need to move quickly, cut through the noise, and help protect every dollar.

That’s the role we’re proud to play. Because when the pressure rises, our job is to help you hold the line.