Dollars for Docs: Talk With Your Doctor

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/
You can print this page and show it to your doctor.

This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. Newer data is available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments site.

ProPublica's Dollars for Docs database lets you search for payments to U.S.-based doctors made by pharmaceutical and medical device companies between August 2013 and December 2018. The disclosure of these payments is required under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, a provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

About This Information

  • The information that appears here comes directly from the federal government. Companies must attest to its accuracy, and doctors have the ability to contest information they believe is in error.
  • This site includes payments for such activities as speaking, consulting, meals, travel and royalties. It does not include payments for clinical research.
  • It is legal for companies to make payments to doctors as long as the payments are not a kickback or inducement to use their products.
  • Some doctors say collaborative relationships, particularly those involving research, are necessary to develop new treatments and cures. But many ethicists have raised questions about the payments, and studies show that they may influence doctors' prescribing decisions.
  • Only you can decide if this matters to you and if so, whether you want to talk with your doctor about it. If you plan to talk with your doctor (or if you already have), please help us by filling out this short survey: propub.li/participate-d4d

Preparing for Your Conversation

If you decide you'd like to talk to your doctor about this, please keep in mind:

  • Many health care professionals in our database have similar names, so you should start by asking your doctor if the person mentioned in this payment record is really him/her.
  • Your doctor may not know he or she is listed as receiving payments, especially if the payments are small. You can direct your doctor to this site (the URL will be printed at the top of the payment record) or directly to the government's site here: https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/physician/105537
  • Some doctors are happy to discuss this information with you. Others might not be. The best approach is to ask questions and to not be accusatory.

Questions You Might Want to Ask

  • Is this you?
  • What type of work do you do with these companies?
  • Have you prescribed me any drugs that are manufactured by companies you've taken payments from?
  • Are there non-drug alternatives that I may want to consider first?
  • Are there less expensive generic alternatives to the drugs you have prescribed?
  • What devices have you used in my care that are manufactured by companies you've taken payments from?

Dollars for Docs: Talk With Your Doctor

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/105537
If you spot an error, please let us know at [email protected].

This database was last updated in October 2019 and should only be used as a historical snapshot. Newer data is available at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments site.

KENNETH YONEMURA

Listed Specialty: Neurological Surgery
1820 SIDEWINDER DR, PARK CITY, UT, 84060-7562

2018 Payments: At a Glance

42

payments

$27,448

payment total

8

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Royalty or License
 1 $11,282
Consulting
 4 $10,274
Travel and Lodging
 7 $4,439
Food and Beverage
 30 $1,453

Drugs & Devices in 2018

Totals listed below account for all payments from that mention this product. Beginning in 2016, the government began classifying products as drugs, devices, biologics or medical supplies. Below, you will see drugs (drugs and biologics) and devices (devices and medical supplies). If a payment record mentions more than one product, the entire value will be included in each of those products. When no products are listed, they are not included in the list below.

Product Name Product Type Payments†
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $11,282
OPTIMESH IDE STUDY

device

 $7,400
ANCHORKNOT

device

 $3,847
RISE-L

device

 $2,005
ELSA

device

 $1,434
PEDIGUARD

device

 $506
EXCELSIUS - GPS

device

 $163
KIVA VCF TREATMENT SYSTEM

device

 $160
BLAZER VERTEBRAL AUGMENTATION KIT

device

 $160
ALTERA

device

 $139
GALAXY

device

 $103
CREO

device

 $97
ILIAC SCREW FIXATION

device

 $65
COFLEX

device

 $42
COALITION

device

 $38
CREO DEGEN

device

 $38
VIACELL

drug

 $36
MARS 3V LATERAL RETRACTOR

device

 $23
RISE

device

 $22
FORGE TLIF

device

 $21
† May not add up to dollar total at top of page, since a payment record may not be associated with any product or can be associated with several products.

For ease of printing, only the 20 drugs and devices with the highest payments are displayed. For a complete list, please visit: https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/105537

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Dec 31, 2018 $11,282 No Listed Product Royalty or License GENESYS ORTHOPEDICS SYSTEMS, L.L.C.
Dec 26, 2018 $7,400 OPTIMESH IDE STUDY Consulting SPINEOLOGY INC.
Apr 19, 2018 $1,774 ANCHORKNOT Consulting BAYLIS MEDICAL COMPANY INC
Mar 24, 2018 $1,554 RISE-L Travel and Lodging GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Apr 9, 2018 $1,227 ANCHORKNOT Travel and Lodging BAYLIS MEDICAL COMPANY INC Corporate Traveler
Nov 11, 2018 $1,070 ELSA Travel and Lodging GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Jul 5, 2018 $700 ANCHORKNOT Consulting BAYLIS MEDICAL COMPANY INC
Nov 8, 2018 $400 PEDIGUARD Consulting SPINEGUARD, INC.
Mar 25, 2018 $359 RISE-L Travel and Lodging GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Nov 12, 2018 $197 ELSA Travel and Lodging GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Nov 27, 2018 $106 PEDIGUARD Food and Beverage SPINEGUARD, INC.
Aug 22, 2018 $103 GALAXY Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
Mar 1, 2018 $100 KIVA VCF TREATMENT SYSTEM BLAZER VERTEBRAL AUGMENTATION KIT Food and Beverage BENVENUE MEDICAL INC
Nov 11, 2018 $99 EXCELSIUS - GPS Food and Beverage GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Mar 24, 2018 $92 RISE-L Food and Beverage GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Jan 31, 2018 $83 ALTERA Food and Beverage GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
May 2, 2018 $82 ANCHORKNOT Food and Beverage BAYLIS MEDICAL COMPANY INC Credit Card Reimbursement
Aug 7, 2018 $65 ILIAC SCREW FIXATION Food and Beverage GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Mar 5, 2018 $64 ANCHORKNOT Food and Beverage BAYLIS MEDICAL COMPANY INC Credit card reimbursement
Mar 23, 2018 $63 ELSA Food and Beverage GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.

For ease of printing, 20 payments are displayed, the largest appearing on top. For a full list of payments, please visit: https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/doctors/pid/105537

Note: We have made some effort to normalize the data and eliminate duplicates, but the data is primarily as it has been reported by the companies to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. To purchase the normalized data, please visit the ProPublica Data Store. If you spot an error, please let us know at [email protected].

This site includes data published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on June 28, 2019.