Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) on Thursday announced a bill (S 301) that would require pharmaceutical and medical device companies to publicly disclose any gifts and payments to physicians valued at $100 or more per calendar year, CQ HealthBeat reports. Under the legislation, the companies would have to report such gifts and payments to HHS once per year. The bill would allow physicians to contest the reports, which HHS staff would review and validate. In addition, the legislation would pre-empt state laws that require disclosure of gifts and payments to physicians.

Last year, Grassley and Kohl introduced a similar bill (S 2029) that would have required pharmaceutical and medical device companies to report to HHS quarterly any gifts or payments to physicians valued at $25 or more per calendar year. In a statement, Kohl, chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, said, "Since we first introduced the bill, there has been a groundswell of support from every corner," adding, "Patients want to know that they can fully trust the relationship they have with their doctor. I am confident this legislation will pass during the 111th Congress."

Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, in a statement said that the group, which supported the bill introduced last year, has begun to review the new legislation and plans to work with Kohl and Grassley on the issue. The Advanced Medical Technology Association also has begun to review the new bill. In a statement, Stephen Ubl, CEO and president of AdvaMed, said, "We ... believe it is important that any federal disclosure legislation create a uniform national standard to prevent a patchwork approach by all 50 states" (McCarthy, CQ HealthBeat, 1/22).