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HSCA and its GPO members recently applauded Senators Kohl (D-WI), Grassley (R-IA), Corker (R-TN) and others for their continued bipartisan leadership in the area of healthcare supply chain transparency. Chairman Kohl, Ranking Member Corker and the Senate Special Committee on Aging yesterday convened a roundtable discussion, “Let the Sunshine In: Implementing the Physician Payments Sunshine Act,” to help spur implementation of the transparency provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
“The group purchasing industry is the most transparent sector in healthcare, and we have a longstanding commitment to promoting openness, accountability and the highest ethical standards in business practices, including our support of the Physician Payments Sunshine Act,” said HSCA President Curtis Rooney. “Tough transparency provisions like those contained in the law help ensure that all hospitals and patients know that physicians are not being unduly influenced by medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturer marketing, and that decisions about patient care are based on science and evidence-based sourcing of products and services.”
The sunshine law requires manufacturers to report all payments to physicians, including consulting fees, honoraria, and travel and entertainment expenses. The law also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to publicly disclose on the Internet the identity of the manufacturer, physician, and the drug or device associated with the payment. Additionally, the law requires manufacturers and GPOs to report all ownership or investment interests held by physicians or members of their family, and to make that information public.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has not yet issued its final rule on collection of physician payment information, and the program has already been delayed by nearly a year. Manufacturers are not required to submit information on payments to doctors until January 2013.
“HSCA joins leaders such as Senators Herb Kohl and Chuck Grassley in the belief that increased disclosure will help eliminate conflicts of interest, and ultimately provide patients with the tools they need to make informed health choices. The sooner these regulations are implemented the sooner patients will realize their benefits,” added Rooney.