Health systems struggle to create, update and manage contracts and rebates when fragmented data and manual processes hold them back by Reliance on manual workflow and cumbersome systems leads to delays, errors and missed savings.
At the same time, complex rebate structures and compliance risks pose significant challenges that can further erode savings and add stress to supply chain operations.
Health systems need a solution to simplify sourcing processes and unlock the full potential of contracts. This blog explores the problems that need to be addressed and how powerful data-driven solutions solve them. This guide covers the trends, innovation and best practices transforming how healthcare systems handle contracts and rebates for more savings.
What are the main sources of problems in contract and rebate management? These are frequent causes:
What capabilities must a solution have to offset these challenges and streamline contract and rebate management? These must be priorities:
The Curvo Contract and Rebate Management solution provides these capabilities to help health systems consolidate purchase volumes, monitor compliance and optimize rebate performance.
The platform choice is essential because it’s the foundation of your contract and rebate strategy. A central platform makes it easier to consolidate purchase volumes and streamline workflows, and store, update, and track supplier contracts.
Once the right tools, data and platform are in place, sourcing teams can function at a new level of efficiency.
Curvo offers a unified platform for consolidating purchase volumes and streamlining sourcing and contract workflows.
With Curvo, healthcare sourcing professionals can create and manage contracts directly from the contracts dashboard. All key elements—product data, tier structures, pricing and cross-references—are consolidated in a single, connected system. This eliminates the need for scattered spreadsheets and manual workarounds.
This section provides a more detailed view of the process of smart contract management using an end-to-end solution like the Curvo platform, workflow and data.
It all begins with entering essential contract details. Users input the contract name, effective dates and relevant organizational data. Optional fields like sourcing officer or contract description allow additional context without slowing down workflow. Once this foundational information is saved, the contract is stored in draft mode, ready to be built out with precision.
Next, users define tier-based pricing, a crucial tool for managing value across facilities or IDNs. Each tier includes facility-specific rules and rebate terms, giving sourcing teams the flexibility to align pricing strategies with utilization trends and volume commitments. Multiple tiers and rebate rules can be configured to support complex agreements with suppliers and group purchasing organizations (GPOs). While this might seem intimidating, the right solutions make it entirely possible.
When it’s time to upload product and pricing data, the system supports a fast drag-and-drop import process. Curvo’s intelligent field mapping ensures that uploaded data integrates seamlessly into the contract structure. Users can quickly review and edit pricing details, remove obsolete items, and confirm data accuracy before moving forward.
Cross-referencing comparable items is another valuable step, especially in environments where product substitutions, alternates or formulary alignment matter. Users can upload a new cross-reference file or pull from existing lists in their account. After mapping, the system displays matched items, giving the team full control to review or revise matches for clarity and consistency.
Supporting documents, such as supplier agreements or compliance forms, can be uploaded to provide a complete audit trail. The platform also offers an interface to manage member organizations, allowing users to assign activation dates and track spend behavior at the facility level. Market share and 12-month spend data can be viewed to support informed decision-making.
Finally, the contract summary brings all the pieces together. Users can review every section and easily navigate back to make edits. Once finalized, publishing the contract activates it in the system, making it immediately actionable for sourcing, compliance, and rebate tracking.
For healthcare sourcing teams looking to reduce manual effort, improve contract accuracy, and unlock hidden rebate value, Curvo contract management offers visibility and control over the contracting process.
Keep this short checklist handy as a quick guide to whether a solution will meet your contract and rebate needs. Look for capabilities like these to identify a comprehensive contract and rebate solution.
Watch this short video for more of what to expect from contract and rebate management technology.
Ready for some additional insights about trends in contracts and rebates? We’ve collected some other articles you might like:
Rethink Contract and Rebate Performance Analytics in Strategic Sourcing
Digital Contract Management in Healthcare: Best Practice Update
How to Control Clinical Variation as Healthcare Business Strategy
PPI Sourcing Strategies to Reduce Clinical Variation | Curvo
And you can always reach out for a demo of our dashboards and platform.