The New York Sun reports on a federal ruling that doctor’s claims filed with Medicare are of public benefit and can be released. Consumer’s Checkbook, a consumer information non-profit, had filed a FOIA request to obtain Medicare claims data, but the Justice Dept argued that the data would infringe on physician privacy, allowing analysts to ascertain a physician’s income.
Consumers’ Checkbook plans to study Medicare payments to doctors who are inexperienced at performing certain “difficult” procedures as well as how much Medicare pays physicians with disciplinary records.