The law requires CMS to collect and display information about the payments made to physicians and teaching hospitals. This Data are displayed on the public “Open Payments” website. The first reporting period covers transactions from the last 5 months of 2013.  This is the first public repository of national data describing financial relationships between industry and healthcare providers. Manufacturers made 4.4 million payments to 546,000 physicians and 1,360 teaching hospitals from Aug. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2013. There are some concerns regarding the accuracy of certain data so CMS has de-identified certain records. Over time, CMS hopes this data will help to identify relationships that can both lead to the development of beneficial new technologies, reduce wasteful healthcare spending and help to prevent inappropriate influence on research, education and clinical decision making. Link to “Open Payments” Database