David Sleight/ProPublica
by Charles Ornstein, ProPublica
This story was co-published with NPR’s Shots blog.
What to be wary of in the government’s new site detailing industry money to docs
Sunshine Laws
AdvaMed, PhRMA, BIO protest Sunshine law
Medicare’s Sunshine Act database is slated to go public later this month with a year’s worth of data on industry relationships with physicians, but an alliance of life sciences groups is calling for some sunshine of its own.
Sunshine Act/Conflict of Interest
As with previous years, it’s time to openly publish my conflict of interests, board memberships, advisory board positions, and government activities so that anyone reading my opinions has full transparency.
The federal government has made financial disclosure very easy with the Sunshine Act.
More data to be withheld from database of physician payments
by Charles Ornstein, ProPublica
Government will withhold one-third of the records from database of physician payments
by Charles Ornstein, ProPublica
Next month, when the federal government releases data about payments to physicians from pharmaceutical and medical device makers, one-third of the records will be withheld because of data inconsistencies, an official told ProPublica.
Sunshine Act follies spark more concern | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Physicians’ groups are up in arms about the looming launch of the a public database of industry-doctor relationships, citing concerns about errors in reporting and security breaches that appear to muddle the program’s credibility.
The public database, scheduled to go live September 30, will allow anyone with interest to peruse troves of data about the financial exchanges between doctors and manufacturers of drugs and medical devices, but the novel program has its share of issues.
Doc groups ask Medicare to keep pay data under wraps a little longer
A massive alliance of medical societies urged Medicare regulators this week to keep physician pay data from the public for an extra 6 months, time that doctors can use to peruse their profiles for inaccuracies about their financial relationships with medical device and drug companies.
The proposal would keep physician financial data under wraps until March 31, 2015, rather than Sept. 30, 2014, as planned.
Medicare’s Sunshine Act changes could hit device makers in the pocketbook
Medicare regulators are looking for feedback on proposed changes to the laws governing transparency in financial relationships between doctors and healthcare companies, warning that the changes may represent a hefty new cost for medical device makers in particular.
Error: You have no payments from pharma
by Charles Ornstein, ProPublica
The federal government has a word for physicians who don’t have financial relationships with pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers: "Error."
Abbott paid $3M to Mass. docs in 2012
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