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Vendor Conflict Avoidance

Meaning

Vendor Conflict Avoidance is a mandatory ethical and legal practice, particularly for fiduciaries of health plans, that requires them to proactively identify and eliminate any situation where a vendor’s financial interests could potentially influence or compromise the clinical recommendations made to a patient or plan participant. This principle mandates that decisions regarding diagnostic testing, pharmaceutical sourcing, or wellness program inclusion are made solely on the basis of clinical merit and cost-reasonableness, free from undisclosed financial bias. Maintaining objectivity is paramount to upholding fiduciary responsibility.