Health Law Scan

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an Open Payments COVID-19 Announcement on March 25 saying that it planned in some cases to exercise enforcement discretion with respect to late or incomplete data reporting.

The Open Payments program established by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (Sunshine Act) requires manufacturers of covered drugs, medical devices, biologicals, and medical supplies (applicable manufacturers) to report annually to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) certain payments and other transfers of value made in the previous calendar year to “covered recipients,” which currently are defined as US-licensed physicians and teaching hospitals. Applicable manufacturers and Group Purchasing Organizations also must report any ownership or investment interests held by physicians or members of their immediate family.