The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
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J Am Acad Orthop Surg · Aug 2015
The Basics of the Sunshine Act: How It Pertains to the Practicing Orthopaedic Surgeon.
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act is a disclosure law requiring all drug, medical device, and biologics companies to report transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals. It was passed into law in 2010 as part of the Affordable Care Act. The first set of data was released via an online public database on September 30, 2014, with subsequent annual reports to come. ⋯ The highest proportion of general payments went to licensing and royalty payments. Orthopaedic surgeons comprised 3.5% of the physicians represented, and they were responsible for more than 20% of total payments. The full impact of the Sunshine Act will not be clear until several years after its implementation.