CMS mandates greater disclosure on provider/manufacturer relationships

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule Friday requiring providers to report financial relationships with manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other supplies covered by CMS. The requirements also affect group purchasing organizations (GPOs), which must declare physician ownership and other financial ties.

CMS will begin collecting the data in August 2013 and will publish the reported disclosures on a public website beginning in September 2014, according to a CMS release Friday.

The 287-page rule, also known as the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, is part of CMS’ National Physician Payment Transparency Program: Open Payments initiative.

The final CMS rule is available at www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection.

More resources and details on the Physician Payment Sunshine Act can be found on the Policy and Medicine website.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.