The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), tasked with implementing the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, announced yesterday that it will not require pharmaceutical, device, and other applicable manufacturers and group purchasing organizations (GPOs) to begin collecting reportable data before 2013.

Once implemented, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (Section 6002 of the Affordable Care Act) will require manufacturers and GPOs to report information regarding payments to physicians and physician ownership and investment interests.

In a blog entry on its website, CMS noted that it received over 300 comments from stakeholders in response the proposed rule published in December 2011, and that it is committed to addressing the input received in such comments.  In order to provide organizations sufficient time to prepare for data submission and to address input received, CMS stated that data collection will not be required before January 1, 2013. CMS also noted that it intends to release the final rule later this year.

To read our previous post regarding the Physician Payment Sunshine Act, click here.