The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published an Open Payments user guide, which can help dentists understand a federal website that allows the public to see information about relationships between healthcare providers and various manufacturers or group purchasing organizations.
Dentists can register in the Enterprise Portal on the website, which gives them the opportunity to review information about themselves before it is posted on the public website and to dispute inaccurate information, according to an ADA News article. The guide is available here.
Registration is voluntary and requires dentists to comply with Open Payments identity verification procedures, including submitting their Social Security number and undergoing a credit check. Registered dentists must change their passwords every 60 days.
Open Payments is intended to encourage financial transparency; reveal the nature and extent of relationships; prevent inappropriate influence on research, education, and clinical decision-making; avoid conflicts of interest that can compromise clinical integrity and patient care; and minimize increased healthcare costs.
Voluntary registration in the Enterprise Portal is required if dentists want to register in the Open Payments system when it becomes available in phase 2 in July. The public website is scheduled to be activated before September 30.
