Senate Bill to Put Physicians' Medicare Billing Data Online

April 9, 2011 — How much individual physicians receive from Medicare for treating seniors on a service-by-service basis — level-4 office visits, vaccinations, chest x-rays — would be posted online for all to see under a bill introduced April 7 by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). The 2 senators contend that public disclosure of billing information would help citizens and consumer watchdog groups spot Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse — and also deter clinicians from engaging in it. "I believe transparency in the healthcare system leads to greater accountability," Sen. Grassley said on the Senate floor. "I’ve often quoted Justice Brandeis, who said, 'Sunlight is the best disinfectant.'" Accordingly, he and Wyden titled their legislation the Medicare Data Access for Transparency and Accountability Act. The American Medical Association (AMA) counters that physicians deserve privacy when it comes to Medicare billing. Furthermore, it argues,...

Read More…