CMS Publishes 2015 Analysis of Vendor-Provider Transactions

Physicians and hospitals in the U.S. accepted $7.52 billion in payments and ownership and investment interests from the drug and medical device industry in 2015, according to data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The Open Payments program, also called the Sunshine Act, requires drug and device manufacturers to report payments to healthcare providers.

The data includes payments for items and services such as food and beverage, education, travel, honoraria and research, and is based on information related to 618,000 doctors, 1,110 teaching hospitals and 1,456 companies.

The program reported $2.6 billion in general payments, $3.89 billion in research payments and $1.02 billion of ownership or investment interests.

In its third annual report, the program presents a $3 billion increase over the $7.49 reported in 2014, demonstrating the volume of money flowing from industry to clinicians has slightly changed.

Among companies with the highest payments is J&J owned DePuy Synthes, which made $72.5 million in total general payments and roughly $575,000 in research payments. Stryker made $61.9 million in general payments and $6 million in research payments. Boston Scientific made $30.7 million in general payments and $17.5 million in total research payments. — Joya Patel