XPost: ba.politics, dc.media, soc.penpals   
   XPost: alt.burningman   
   From: pelosi@mail.house.gov   
      
   WASHINGTON –  Thought HealthCare.gov had problems?   
      
   Another federal government-run website created under ObamaCare   
   is suffering the same symptoms as the troubled federal health   
   care exchange -- grappling with delays, data problems and other   
   hiccups as the deadline to take it public nears.   
      
   At issue is a database known as the Open Payments website. It   
   was created under the Affordable Care Act to shed light on the   
   financial ties between doctors and pharmaceutical companies as   
   well as device manufacturers.   
      
   The transparency initiative is supposed to include detailed   
   information about drug payments made by doctors as well as the   
   value of gifts and services given by drug makers. Such items can   
   include everything from meals to swanky retreats.   
      
   The database project, though, is dealing with a minefield of   
   technical problems and confusion over the data. The problems led   
   the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to shut down what   
   is currently a private site for 11 days earlier this month.   
      
   The government is hoping to take the site public on Sept. 30.   
   But it's already a year behind schedule, and if some industry   
   heavy hitters have it their way, the schedule will slip by   
   another six months.   
      
   The American Medical Association as well as 112 other health   
   organizations are pressing the government to delay the launch   
   until March 31, 2015. They cite an overly complex registration   
   process – made up of more than 20 individual steps that require   
   a doctor to register over a period of several days in order to   
   see their data – as one reason why the government should hold   
   off.   
      
   Other complaints include the lack of guidance on the website,   
   concern that industry groups can unilaterally dismiss disputes   
   initiated by doctors, and errors in the information.   
      
   "Physicians need enough time to review and correct any   
   inaccurate data that may be reported," AMA president Robert M.   
   Wah, said in a written statement on Monday. "The issues that   
   resulted in the system being taken offline further underscore   
   the need for more time than CMS proposes to ensure the system is   
   actually ready and that physicians have adequate time to   
   register, review and seek correction of inaccurate data.”   
      
   The online database is part of the Physicians Payments Sunshine   
   Act, which allows patients to have access to  federal   
   information disclosing the financial ties between doctors and   
   pharmaceuticals.   
      
   The website was taken offline on Aug. 3 following complaints of   
   data inaccuracies.   
      
   ProPublica, which brought the issue to CMS, reported that   
   Kentucky-based electrophysiologist David E. Mann logged on the   
   system to verify his payment record but instead was directed to   
   the payments of another David E. Mann – an oncologist from   
   Florida.   
      
   "After an assessment of the data resulting from a complaint, we   
   discovered that a limited number of physician payment records   
   submitted by at least one manufacturer incorrectly contained   
   information about other physicians," CMS spokesman Aaron   
   Albright said in a statement. "To protect physician privacy and   
   correct the issue, we have taken the system offline temporarily   
   and will work with the industry to eliminate incorrect payment   
   records."   
      
   CMS started collecting 2013 physician-payment data from   
   companies earlier this year. In July, doctors and teaching   
   hospitals were allowed to register online to get a sneak peek at   
   their profile before the information went public. The offer was   
   made to encourage doctors and drug manufacturers to correct any   
   payment errors before the site tentatively is made public Sept.   
   30.   
      
   That rollout was initially set for last year, but then was   
   pushed to July, and then again to the end of September.   
      
   Last week, CMS said it would extend the deadline for reviewing   
   data every day the system was offline, which extends the review   
   period itself to Sept. 7.   
      
   http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/08/26/online-medical-   
   transparency-site-showing-same-warning-signs-as-   
   troubled/?intcmp=obnetwork   
      
        
      
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