Newt Gingrich: The Medical Device Policy Guru?

The former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has entered the medical device policy fray. He says Medicare and Medicaid funded hospitals are paying top dollar for devices such as implants because there is no transparency in the pricing structure. "

"This practice is contributing to the insolvency of Medicare and Medicaid and must stop," writes Gingrich. "The American people should be able to see where the majority of their taxpayer dollars are going and which companies are benefiting."

As an example, Gingrich points to the average hip-replacement procedure (both the hospital stay and the device), which can cost about $50,000. He says that Medicare and Medicaid traditionally wind up paying 70% of that hip replacement, according to a report "Accounting for the Cost of U.S. Healthcare: A Look at Why Americans Spend More," (pdf) released in 2009 by McKinsey Global Institute.

Do you agree with Newt? Would you vote for him for president based on this policy (that is, if he decides to run)?

—Heather Thompson