Several hospitals have brought lawsuits against Intuitive Surgical for allegedly forcing them to purchase maintenance and repair packages from them, which Cardiovascular Business reports as an example of what President Biden’s new executive order on the right to repair seeks to address.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order this month aimed at preventing certain device manufacturers from limiting independent repairs of their products. The medical device industry is one of the executive order’s many targets—and there is already plenty of evidence that this will be a hot topic for healthcare providers in 2021 and beyond.
For instance, as Axios reported, several hospitals have accused Intuitive Surgical of forcing them to purchase expensive maintenance and repair packages for its da Vinci surgical robot. The company is not commenting on these lawsuits at this time, but the lawsuits do show that providers are ready to fight back if they feel threatened.
Biden’s executive order is a clear sign that the “right to repair” conversation is surging forward—and people from both sides of the debate are pushing to make their voices heard.
Read more in Cardiovascular Business.
