Reader Poll: Should the Sunshine Act Reveal More?

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed eliminating the exclusion for continuing medical education (CME) in the so-called Sunshine Act (the Open Payments program). This means that pharmaceutical and medical device companies would have to disclose the cost of these programs as payments to physicians.

Many physicians feel that a change like this would cause CME to become a bigger expense for them. Some doctors say it's not worth potentially being questioned by patients or others who might believe that they are beholden to the manufacturers. Other doctors say they refuse to worry about it and will continue to use sponsored CME, and if patients ask them about it they will be happy to explain their position.

This elimination of the exclusion is included in CMS' proposed Physician Fee Schedule for 2015.

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