BOSTON (Dow Jones)–While hospitals grapple with the economic downturn and the potential effects of health-care reform, they are pushing their financial troubles onto big medical-device companies.
It’s having an effect, according to executives at Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX) and St. Jude Medical Inc. (STJ), all of which have reported signs of mounting pressure. It is not a brand-new phenomenon, but it is one that may worsen as hospitals battle to control costs.
