AMA statement on newly released Open Payments data

"The American Medical Association (AMA) remains committed to transparency and the availability of information for patients to make informed decisions about their medical care. To accomplish this goal, Open Payments data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services must be valid, reliable, and complete."

"While we appreciate the efforts of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to verify the data submitted by industry, continued data errors and registration challenges during the previous two years have thwarted many physicians from participating in the review and validation process. The integrity goals of the Open Payments database will not be met as long as physician review is obstructed by a registration procedure that is confusing, time consuming, and overly burdensome."