How Hospitals Can Blunt the Effects of Tariffs

Tariffs are bad news for hospitals. The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently warned that tariffs could have “significant implications” for healthcare, in part, because a substantial portion of medical goods comes from international sources.

These internationally sourced supplies include essential items like pharmaceuticals, medical devices, personal protective equipment (PPE), and low-margin, high-use essentials such as syringes, needles, and blood-pressure cuffs.

Inevitably, tariffs will create additional pressure on hospitals’ already narrow margins . Labor expenses for hospital suppliers are likely to rise as domestic supply chains adjust to higher costs. For hospitals, tariffs’ effects will likely be felt in rising per-patient operating costs and additional difficulty in