Drug and device firms paid $3.5 billion to care providers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Companies that make drugs and medical devices have been providing lots of benefits to doctors and leading hospitals.

In an effort to highlight possible ethical conflicts in medicine, the government disclosed today that industry spent nearly $3.5 billion on everything from research grants to travel junkets for doctors and hospitals in the last five months of last year.

The information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services covers 4.4 million payments.

In all, some 546,000 medical personnel and 1,360 teaching hospitals received payments.

The disclosure comes as part of a new initiative called Open Payments, which is mandated by President Barack Obama’s health care law. It was intended to allow patients to look up the information on their own doctors online, but that functionality isn’t fully ready yet.

Consumer groups applaud the move as a step toward greater transparency. But doctors and industry are raising questions about accuracy and a lack of context.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up