The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule Friday that will expose financial relationships between doctors and industry in compliance with President Obama's healthcare law.
Pressure had been mounting for the Obama administration to release the final "Sunshine Act" regulations, which are more than one year overdue. Critics blamed the wait on election-year politics.
The rules will require drug, device and biologic manufacturers to annually report to CMS the payments and gifts they make to physicians and teaching hospitals. CMS, in turn, will create an online database that makes the disclosures easily accessible to the public.
Pressure had been mounting for the Obama administration to release the final "Sunshine Act" regulations, which are more than one year overdue. Critics blamed the wait on election-year politics.
The rules will require drug, device and biologic manufacturers to annually report to CMS the payments and gifts they make to physicians and teaching hospitals. CMS, in turn, will create an online database that makes the disclosures easily accessible to the public.
"You should know when your doctor has a financial relationship with the companies that manufacture or supply the medicines or medical devices you may need," said Peter Budetti, CMS deputy administrator for Program Integrity, in a statement Friday. "Disclosure of these relationships allows patients to have more informed discussions with their doctors."
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/280651-cms-releases-long-overdue-sunshine-act-rule-#ixzz2Jr2rkBOZ
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