Our Members
Open Payments Action Center
Recently, CMS issued a proposal to revise the Sunshine Act reporting requirements with regard to speakers at accredited CME events. Although CMS states its purpose for this policy shift is to expand the reporting exemption for speakers at non-accredited educational events, it has the potential - unless remedied - to negatively affect the impact on physician attendees and could severely undermine the reputation and role of accredited CME as the gold standard of medical education.
The CME Coalition issued a policy report outlining in detail the reasons for our concern. We hope that CMS’ intention is to maintain the current reporting exemption for both physician speakers and attendees at CME events, and we will be submitting comments to CMS as part of their rulemaking, to seek assurances.
Indeed, we also realize that since this issue has now been reopened for comment and reconsideration, it is vitally important for proponents of accredited CME to weigh in with CMS.
The CME Coalition’s comments, as well as suggested points for other stakeholders’ comments, will be available shortly on this website.
To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. on September 2, 2014. In commenting, please refer to file code CMS-1612-P.
- Electronically. You may submit electronic comments on this regulation to www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for "submitting a comment."
- By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, 2 Attention: CMS-1612-P, P.O. Box 8013, Baltimore, MD 21244-8013.
- By express or overnight mail. You may send written comments to the following address ONLY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-1612-P, Mail Stop C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
