In a first, Obama admin. releases data on financial ties between drug and device makers and doctors

For the first time, the Obama administration posted Tuesday data outlining months of consulting fees, grants, travel expenses and other gifts that companies paid to America’s doctors.

Mandated by the health care law, the Open Payments program so far lists $3.5 billions in disbursements from pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers to more than 546,000 physicians and 1,360 teaching hospitals from August 2013 to December 2013.