The 2010 Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires that healthcare exhibitors disclose the number of physicians to whom they give “gifts” and other transfers of value, which is also known as the National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers. The mandate to disclose NPI numbers is included in what are commonly called the law’s Sunshine provisions, which require the electronic disclosure to the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) of any “payment or other transfer of value” given to a physician. Being out of compliance with this law can impact decisions about exhibiting and sponsoring, which is why medical associations and their exhibitors are looking for answers now.
Important to know:
- The Sunshine provisions originated in a stand-alone bill, but were eventually wrapped into the overall PPACA. The provisions require that healthcare companies disclose gifts and other items they give to physicians.
- One mandate in the Sunshine provisions is that healthcare companies report the NPI numbers of physicians to whom they give items of value.
- Healthcare convention marketers and exhibitors are asking the organizers of healthcare association conventions to provide the NPI numbers of their healthcare professional attendees, yet most healthcare associations are not currently collecting these numbers.
- Because healthcare companies must begin disclosing information on activities starting in 2012, it is critical that healthcare companies and associations work together to create solutions for the collection and reporting of NPI numbers.
- The implementation rules for the Sunshine provisions are expected to be released in October 2011.
For additional information on this topic click here <http://www.hcea.org/news/2011-0215-npi.asp> .
