Geographic distribution of general industry payments to advanced-practice clinicians

Health Aff Sch. 2023 Jun 20;1(1):qxad011. doi: 10.1093/haschl/qxad011. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Following the recent expansion of the Open Payments program to include advanced-practice clinicians (APCs) as covered recipients, we characterized the geographical distribution of general industry payments to nurse practitioners and physician assistants using the Open Payments database. The number and dollar value of payments, as well as the average and median payment amount earned per provider, varied by state. However, a significantly higher proportion of APCs received payments in states with more restrictive scope-of-practice laws. Understanding how and why payments to APCs vary by state can elucidate how industry-APC relationships are related to changing scope-of-practice and state-specific transparency/disclosure laws, informing future legislation.

Keywords: advanced-practice clinicians; open payments; scope of practice.