Open Payments data available to review before it becomes public 

Physicians have until May 15 to confirm the accuracy of data on payments they’ve received from pharmaceutical and medical device companies — before the information becomes public June 30 through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Open Payments Program.

The process is voluntary, but CMS strongly encourages physicians to check their data and report any errors in payments attributed to them.

To promote a more transparent and accountable health care system, federal law requires medical product manufacturers (or “reporting entities”) to disclose to CMS any payments or items of value they provide to physicians and teaching hospitals (or “covered recipients”). Examples include research funding, meals, travel, gifts, or speaking fees. The law also requires certain manufacturers and group purchasing organizations to disclose any physician ownership or investment interests in those companies.

To review your data, you must be registered in the Open Payments system. To register, create a user account at portal.cms.gov, then create a profile and register in the Open Payments System. A Registration Quick Guide and video are available to assist in this process.

Once registered, log into the Open Payments System at portal.cms.gov and click the “Review and Dispute” button on the menu bar. Select your name and view your records. Each individual record can be affirmed or disputed. If the record is accurate, click “Affirm Record.”

If a record is not accurate, click the “Dispute” button. To resolve the dispute, you’ll work directly with the reporting entity. CMS does not mediate or facilitate the dispute process. Remember to provide your most up-to-date contact information when initiating a dispute, so the reporting entity can contact you directly to reach a dispute resolution.

For more information, see the “Review and Dispute” page on the CMS website and watch the video that provides an overview of how the review and affirmation or dispute process works. You may also direct questions to the CMS Help Desk at 1-855-326-8366 or openpayments@cms.hhs.gov

— Kent Moore, AAFP Senior Manager, Payment Strategies

Posted on April 1, 2024