AMA statement on Sunshine Act data release

"The American Medical Association (AMA) is committed to transparency and the availability of information for patients to make informed decisions about their medical care. However, it is extremely important that data made available to the public is valid, reliable, and complete. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the data released today has not been independently validated by physicians, which makes it less usable for the patients it's intended to benefit.

"While we appreciate the efforts of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to verify the data submitted by industry, the complicated and cumbersome process for physicians to register to review their data and seek correction of any inaccuracies continues to hinder their participation in the validation process.