AdvaMed Statement On The Launch Of Open Payments

Christopher White, senior executive vice president and general counsel for the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), issued the following statement recently on the launch of the Open Payments website by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):

“AdvaMed supports appropriate disclosure of relationships between medical technology companies and physicians. Our member companies recognize that strong ethical standards are critical to ensuring appropriate collaboration between the device industry and health care professionals to produce the world’s most advanced medical technologies. That is why AdvaMed endorsed the Physician Payment Sunshine Act and, since its passage, has worked with Members of Congress and CMS to ensure its success. The industry also has embraced a rigorous Code of Ethics which prohibits gifts and entertainment and permits only arrangements premised on science, research, education and patient safety.

“AdvaMed and our member companies have invested tremendous time, effort and resources to collect and report accurate data. While we are still reviewing the new site and its data, we appreciate efforts by CMS to include context and examples to help make clear the purpose and benefits of industry interactions with HCPs. We encourage users of the Open Payment website to visit the “Open Payments Data in Context Tab” where that information is located and hope, as the site evolves, it can be made more easily accessible to users.

“We remain concerned that only two-thirds of the data reported by companies has been posted in the form required by the legislation, even though companies have satisfied their obligations of accurate reporting. We are committed to working closely with our members and with CMS to ensure that this missing data is posted as soon as possible.
“Physician and other health professionals provide valuable recommendations on how to improve the safety and functioning of existing devices and offer ongoing consulting to furnish expert technical assistance and feedback to companies in the development and refinement of those improvements. Physician expertise, feedback, and experience are critical to ongoing advances and innovations in medical technology.

“America’s medical device and diagnostics companies are committed to working with physicians, health care providers and policy makers to continue timely and accurate data submission and publication on Open Payments.”

About AdvaMed
AdvaMed member companies produce the medical devices, diagnostic products and health information systems that are transforming health care through earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures and more effective treatments. AdvaMed members range from the largest to the smallest medical technology innovators and companies. For more information, visit www.advamed.org.