FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301
Today, the CME Coalition released a statement regarding the proposed rule to eliminate the exemption for speaker payments for accredited Continued Medical Education (CME) programs from the Physician Payment Sunshine Act’s reporting requirements.
Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301
Today, the CME Coalition released a statement regarding the proposed rule to eliminate the exemption for speaker payments for accredited Continued Medical Education (CME) programs from the Physician Payment Sunshine Act’s reporting requirements.
"We are stunned that CMS would reverse course on the common sense reporting exemption for accredited CME that they, themselves, created and finalized last year,” said Senior Council for the CME Coalition, Andrew Rosenberg.
“If it is allowed to stand, this policy change will be highly disruptive to every stakeholder in the CME ecosystem - doctors, educators and commercial supporters - who have spent over a year preparing for the implementation of the current rules. We are at a loss to explain why CMS would abruptly reverse its own Final Rule which came as a result of significant stakeholder input and participation from all sides.”
On July 3rd, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reversed a previous decision it had made to allow physicians to participate in accredited continuing medical education activities without having that participation reported publicly as a “payment” by commercial underwriters of the underlying educational grant.
Mr. Rosenberg went on to say, “CMS got it right the first time when it recognized that encouraging the practice of accredited CME is vitally important for doctors and patients, and that extending the Sunshine Act's reporting requirements for direct payments between doctors and manufacturers to participants in bona fide, accredited CME would actually discourage physicians from learning new medical science by creating a false stigma of public disclosure. We will fight this proposal alongside patients, doctors and others in order to protect CME from being treated no differently from promotional, marketing or other reportable payment categories under the Sunshine Act. “
About the CME Coalition
The CME Coalition represents a broad collection of continuing medical education provider companies, in addition to other supporters of CME and the vital role it plays in the US health care system. Its member organizations provide, manage and support the development of healthcare continuing education programs that impact more than 500,000 physicians, nurses and pharmacists annually. Graduation from medical school and completion of residency training are the first steps in a career-long educational process for physicians. To take advantage of the growing array of diagnostic and treatment options, physicians must continually update their technical knowledge and practice skills. CME is a mainstay for such learning.
“If it is allowed to stand, this policy change will be highly disruptive to every stakeholder in the CME ecosystem - doctors, educators and commercial supporters - who have spent over a year preparing for the implementation of the current rules. We are at a loss to explain why CMS would abruptly reverse its own Final Rule which came as a result of significant stakeholder input and participation from all sides.”
On July 3rd, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reversed a previous decision it had made to allow physicians to participate in accredited continuing medical education activities without having that participation reported publicly as a “payment” by commercial underwriters of the underlying educational grant.
Mr. Rosenberg went on to say, “CMS got it right the first time when it recognized that encouraging the practice of accredited CME is vitally important for doctors and patients, and that extending the Sunshine Act's reporting requirements for direct payments between doctors and manufacturers to participants in bona fide, accredited CME would actually discourage physicians from learning new medical science by creating a false stigma of public disclosure. We will fight this proposal alongside patients, doctors and others in order to protect CME from being treated no differently from promotional, marketing or other reportable payment categories under the Sunshine Act. “
About the CME Coalition
The CME Coalition represents a broad collection of continuing medical education provider companies, in addition to other supporters of CME and the vital role it plays in the US health care system. Its member organizations provide, manage and support the development of healthcare continuing education programs that impact more than 500,000 physicians, nurses and pharmacists annually. Graduation from medical school and completion of residency training are the first steps in a career-long educational process for physicians. To take advantage of the growing array of diagnostic and treatment options, physicians must continually update their technical knowledge and practice skills. CME is a mainstay for such learning.
