The American Medical Association (AMA) on Thursday sent a letter to CMS Administrator Mark McClellan that raised opposition to a Medicare quality data reporting program announced late last month. McClellan on Oct. 28 announced a new voluntary program for physicians to self-report adherence to certain evidence-based quality measures. Under the first phase of the program, which will begin in January, physicians can report data on 36 measures for Medicare beneficiaries. The measures were developed by physicians, physician organizations and quality-of-care experts, such as the National Quality Forum and RAND. Physicians who report the measure will not receive higher reimbursements, and CMS will not make the results public. The Academy of Medicine Cleveland/Northern Ohio Medical Association (AMC/NOMA), in hosting its annual seminar in February 2006, has placed this issue at the fore of its agenda, with renown speakers from NQF and a senior level CMS official to discuss quality information and its dissemination. See Upcoming Events below for more on the AMC/NOMA annual seminar, “Riding the Wave of Change in the Practice of Medicine.”