Sunshine Act
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act is a federal law that supports openness in health care. The law requires certain financial relationships between medical companies and health care providers to be shared with the public.
Under this law, companies that make drugs, medical devices, or biologics must report payments or items of value given to physicians and teaching hospitals. These payments must be reported when the value is more than ten dollars ($10). This information helps show how companies and health care providers may work together.
Reported payments may include consulting fees, research support, travel costs, meals, or educational materials. The goal of the Sunshine Act is to help patients and the public understand these relationships and support trust in health care.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) collects and manages this information. CMS provides a public database where people can review reported payments and other items of value given to physicians and teaching hospitals.
Sharing this information helps promote accountability and allows patients to stay informed about financial relationships in health care.
For more information, you can visit the CMS Open Payments website. This resource allows you to learn more about the Sunshine Act and review reported payment data.