Here are five key points:
1. The government launched OpenPayments in 2014, which puts such payments in a federal database. OpenPayments' aim was to disclose relations between companies and physicians that may influence medical practice and research.
2. The CME course has fueled fierce discussion with those opposing CME claiming drug and device companies control the curriculum. However, last year, industry support for CME reached $693 billion, up 2 percent from 2014.
3. CMS decided to impose the reporting requirement because physicians would pay for the course themselves, so the payments may influence physician's decisions.
