National call to be held on Physician Payments Sunshine Act

Applicable industries began tracking transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (also known as Open Payments) on Aug. 1.

Data from August through December 2013 will be transferred to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and will be placed on a public website in September 2014. Physicians have no reporting obligations—all reporting is conducted by the covered industries—but they have the right to review and dispute the data reported about them before the data are placed on the public website.

CMS will offer a National Provider Call on Aug. 8, 2013, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. that will tell clinicians what they need to know about the Open Payments program. Topics will include an update on program policy, with a focus on third-party payments, indirect payments and the physician resource toolkit. To register, visit MLN Connects Upcoming Calls online. The College recommends that all members take advantage of this opportunity.

For more information on the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, see the article in the July/August ACP Internist.