Physicians Worry That Sunshine Act Could Hinder Innovation

Some health care professionals are concerned that the Physician Payment  Sunshine Act — which requires health care providers to disclose compensation  they receive from medical industry companies — could stifle innovation, MedPage  Today reports (Pittman, MedPage Today, 3/12).

Background

Last month, CMS released a long-awaited final rule on the Physician Payment  Sunshine Act and outlined a timeline for its implementation.

The Sunshine Act — which is part of the Affordable Care Act — requires  medical industry companies to disclose consulting fees, travel reimbursements,  research grants and other gifts that they give to physicians and teaching  hospitals.

Starting Aug. 1, manufacturers of pharmaceutical and biological drugs,  medical devices and medical supplies will be expected to report all transfers of  monetary value over $10 to physicians and teaching hospitals.

All data collected from August through December must be reported to CMS by  March 31, 2014, according to the final rule. The agency will publish the data on  a public website by Sept. 30, 2014. CMS is creating an electronic system to help  facilitate the reporting process.

Physicians will be given a 45-day “review and correction” period to ensure  the accuracy of any disclosures to CMS, according to the final rule (iHealthBeat,  2/5).

Physicians’ Concerns

During an event sponsored by the Healthcare Leadership Council, several  physicians voiced their concerns about the Sunshine Act.

The Healthcare Leadership Council said its members generally are satisfied  with the way the Sunshine Act’s rules were presented but are concerned about the  website that CMS is launching to make the data publicly available.

David Caraway — a physician at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in West  Virginia — said that public disclosure of industry gifts is a “disincentive for  innovation and collaboration” and could make some doctors less likely to  participate in educational events or collaborative projects sponsored by  pharmaceutical companies.

Ryan Hohman — managing director of policy and public affairs at the advocacy  group Friends of Cancer Cancer Research — said, “Like it or not, successful  innovation requires commercial entities to be involved, and successful education  of physicians will require all experts to be educating each  other” (MedPage Today, 3/12).

Source: iHealthBeat

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