This article originally appeared on www.medcitynews.com
One of the biggest challenges pharmaceutical manufacturers face in trying to establish compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is uncertainty. With so many details of the 906-page legislation still undefined and awaiting final guidance, determining the scope, timing, and impact of its contents has been like a high-stakes game of poker — a blend of skill, bluffing, and betting. And just like high-stakes poker, the consequences of a misstep could cost the players dearly.
Pharma companies are overwrought with questions, some pertaining to pharma’s already tenuous relationship with the public. How will consumers perceive the ’transfers of value’ made from manufacturers to physicians? Still other questions investigate a deeper unknown: penalties. How often and to what degree will the Department of Justice pursue manufacturers when they violate new facets of the ACA?
The one guiding principle when facing ACA compliance: Be prepared. Here are four tips on how to ready your company for the ACA unknowns.