December 18, 2019 10:14 am News Staff – Family physicians, highlight Dec. 31 on your calendars. This is the last day that physicians and teaching hospitals can review and dispute the 2018 Open Payments program data that CMS published on June 28.
Newly submitted data from previous program years (2013-2017) is also available for review until the end of the year.
As in the past, CMS reminds physicians that data review is not mandatory but is highly recommended because it gives physicians a chance to correct inaccurate public information.
Be aware that CMS does not mediate or facilitate disputes. Instead, physicians and teaching hospitals must work directly with reporting entities to achieve a successful resolution.
CMS initiated the Open Payments program in 2014 to implement a directive from the Physician Payments Sunshine Act that required greater transparency related to financial agreements between physicians and drug and device manufacturers.
The program collects information related to money and other items of value -- including travel, meals and speaking fees -- that physicians and teaching hospitals receive from such companies.
The Open Payments program also collects information about physicians' or their families' ownership in such companies.
CMS offers resources to help physicians navigate this review process, including instructions for those signing up for the CMS Enterprise Portal for the first time and directions on how to unlock an account that has been inactive for 60 days.
Still have questions? Connect with CMS by email or by phone at 855-326-8366.