The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has set a deadline of May 15 for covered recipients to review and dispute Open Payments data for program year 2019. Disputes must be initiated by May 15 to be reflected in the data that will be published in June. CMS does not have the authority to postpone the publication deadline, but covered recipient review and dispute actions can be completed through the end of the calendar year.
According to the CMS website, Open Payments is a national disclosure program that promotes a more transparent and accountable health care system by making the financial relationships between applicable manufacturers and group purchasing organizations and health care providers available to the public. These payments include things like speaking fees, research, travel, gifts, meals and ownership interests in drug and device companies. Review of the data is strongly encouraged by the CMS.
For information on how to view the data, visit the Open Payments website here. You can also contact the Open Payments help desk at openpayments@cms.hhs.gov or 855-326-8366. CMS also has a PDF reference guide on reviewing and disputing data on its website.