Health Law Scan

Last month, we had an engaging Fast Break session covering compliance topics regarding healthcare professionals’ relationships with pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. We were joined by Terrence Burek, senior counsel, neurology & immunology at EMD Serono, and Morgan Lewis partner Scott Memmott, who highlighted specific compliance risk areas for healthcare professionals (HCPs), as well as permissible interactions with pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers and contracting/risk mitigation best practices.

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.

We hope you were able to join us for last month's Fast Break on the Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. If not, you missed a great session featuring Eric Knickrehm discussing the important changes the proposed rule would have on Medicare Part B.

Clearing the way for consideration by the US House of Representatives, the Ways and Means Committee has unanimously approved bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing drug price transparency by manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers through enhanced reporting and accountability requirements.