As the co-author of the successful Physician Payments Sunshine Act on drug and device company payments to doctors, Sen. Chuck Grassley was concerned by an attempt to strip part of the law. Ultimately, Sen. Grassley prevailed. The controversial provision is gone.
From a Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial:
“Grassley was one of the Sunshine Law’s strongest champions, arguing sensibly that shining a light on these payments is timely and important. Patients should be able to decide for themselves if their doctor’s financial interests may have influenced a prescription for an expensive drug or particular medical device.”
From the Washington Examiner:
“A provision in a major medical research package that would have weakened the Sunshine Act, which discloses payments to doctors and healthcare companies, has been dropped.
“Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Tuesday that the provision he objected to was removed from a final version of the 21st Century Cures Act announced on Saturday. Grassley had objected to a quick passage of the bipartisan package unless the provision was dropped.”
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