| Operating Guidelines
Objective
To provide participating member facilities the ability to purchase high
quality services at the lowest possible cost from reputable
manufacturers and suppliers through an organization, structure and
environment designed for that purpose.
Membership
Membership is initiated by the completion and submission of a CHA
SSP Membership Application Form. Members agree to abide by the CHA SSP Operating Guidelines and to honor their responsibilities and
commitments as participating members (see "Responsibilities of
Program Participants" below). Failure to honor their
responsibilities and commitments, or to comply with the contract
terms, can result in removal from membership. There are no dues or
membership fees.
Disclosure of Fees
Certain federal regulations governing the Medicare and Medicaid
programs (42 C.F.R. Part 1001) require all group purchasing programs
to have a written "agreement" with those who purchase goods or
services through such an arrangement. The "agreement" must tell you
the fee that vendors pay CHA SSP to participate in its group
purchasing program. These laws also require all group purchasing
programs to disclose to the members, in writing, at least annually,
the amount paid by vendors to participate in the program. CHA SSP
will send you this information in compliance with these laws. Unless
otherwise specified, all vendors pay CHA SSP a fee of three percent
or less of the purchase price of the goods or services purchased by
CHA SSP members.
Responsibilities of Program
Participants
- Members agree to complete an initial Membership Application
Form. The Application Form identifies a facility as a CHA SSP and MAGNET
member. This form is completed only once and is kept on file at the CHA SSP
office. Members that choose to access any MedAssets program - Laboratory,
Food and Nutritional, Pharmacy, Materials - must also complete a MedAssets
Participaton Agreement to participate in a MedAssets Program.
- Members agree to complete either a Group Designation Form or Vendor Commitment
Form for each agreement they wish to access. The form must be completed prior
to placing an order, when a CHA SSP or MAGNET contract is accessed for the
first time. The Group Designation Form (or the Vendor Commitment Form, if
applicable) is used to notify the vendor that the facility is entitled to
the appropriate CHA SSP or MAGNET pricing. Members are also encouraged to
mark purchase orders with the appropriate contract source names (i.e. CHA
SSP or MAGNET) to receive the correct pricing. Contract source names
are identified on each contract Agreement Summary page. Contracts that require
a Vendor Commitment Form do not have a Group Designation Form.
Members participating in any MedAssets Program may be required to sign Vendor
Commitment Forms for individual agreements that are part of the specific Program.
- Members agree to comply with the terms of the contract (i.e. cash terms)
and to honor vendor purchasing commitments where applicable.
- Members agree to honor confidentiality of contract pricing.
- Healthcare member participants agree that all purchases through CHA SSP
contracts are for their "own use" as such phrase is defined in Abbott
Laboratories v. Portland Retail Druggists Ass'n, U.S. (1976). (Except
for contracts developed for Retail Pharmacy members intended for resale).
Credit Terms
All credit decisions will be made solely by the vendors. Vendors
will contact the member directly on all matters related to the
availability of credit terms.
All orders are placed directly
with the vendor or designated distributor. When purchasing from a vendor or
distributor for the first time under a CHA SSP, MAGNET, or MedAssets contract,
facility may be required to establish an account and complete a credit application
prior to placing their first order. Please contact vendor for specific details.
The Connecticut Hospital Association
Copyright
©1999-2002 The Connecticut Hospital Association
Shared Services Program
110 Barnes Road | PO Box 90 | Wallingford, CT 06492-0090
Phone (203) 294-7380 | Fax (203) 265-9130
Email-chassp@chime.org
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