CME Funding Not Reportable Under Sunshine Law, But Bias Debate Continues

ACCME report finds “no evidence to support or refute” belief that commercial support creates commercial bias in CME activities.

Drug and medical device firms will not have to report funding for continuing medical education events if they do not select or pay the speaker directly, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have concluded. But a report by a CME-accrediting organization indicates that the debate over whether industry funding of CME programs creates commercial bias has not been settled.

CMS revised its final rule implementing the Physician Payment Sunshine Act to exclude CME payments if the manufacturer “does not...