Physician groups want to make sure that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) take care in implementing its federally mandated data release program to ensure that the information about provider performance is accurate and useful, according to a 13-page comment letter to CMS undersigned by 82 physician organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA).

The letter is in response to CMS' proposed rule, which calls for CMS to provide standardized extracts of claims data from Medicare Parts A, B, and D to qualified entities, which would pay for access, iHealthBeat reports. Such entities could use the data, in combination with other sources, to evaluate healthcare providers and generate specified reports on healthcare provider performance.

While supporting CMS' inclusion of safeguards that protect patients and physicians in the rule, the AMA and others urged CMS to make the following considerations:

• Allow providers to review their data for accuracy and to appeal any errors before their information is made public.
• Standardize the process for developing the public reports and the type of information they will include, not only across the Medicare system but for private insurance data as well.
• Educate the public to explain the data release program and openly address its limitations, such as barriers to physician participation in quality programs.

"Just as the release of reliable information can be helpful for patients and physicians, the release of incorrect information could harm patients and the entire Medicare system," AMA President Dr. Peter W. Carmel said in a statement.

To learn more:
- read the press release from the AMA
- see the story from iHealthBeat
- see CMS' proposed rule (.pdf)
- read the physicians' letter to CMS (.pdf)

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