Docs split over making Medicare data public

A new poll conducted by the American College of Physician Executives has found that doctors are almost evenly divided on whether or not Medicare payment data should be made public.

...Those who favored keeping the information private said the data is too easily misinterpreted by the public and could be used to portray physicians in a negative and unfair light.

...Several physicians went on to add that reimbursement is complicated by a number of factors, including geographical location, the type of procedure performed and the cost of medication. They say the time and effort it would take to translate the data might be better spent on other resources.

...Those who disagreed argued the public has a right to know how their taxpayer dollars are being spent. As consumers continue to demand increased access to healthcare data, the move to greater transparency will only grow stronger...