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/106332
  • 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/106332
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.


TODD BARON

Listed Specialty: Gastroenterology
200 1ST ST SW, ROCHESTER, MN, 55905-0001

2018 Payments: At a Glance

27

payments

$15,006

payment total

11

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
7 $5,315
Honoraria
1 $3,825
Promotional Speaking/Other
1 $3,375
Travel and Lodging
5 $1,658
Food and Beverage
13 $833

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
VIABIL BILIARY ENDOPROSTHESIS

device

$5,658
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$4,795
COOK MEDICAL ENDOSCOPY

device

$1,626
COOK MEDICAL BILIARY

device

$1,000
COOK MEDICAL METAL STENTS

device

$600
SMALL BOWEL

device

$375
ENDOCUFF DEVICES

device

$224
EVIS EXERA

device

$224
OLYMPUS CAPITAL ACCESSORIES

device

$224
SCOPEGUIDE

device

$224
CONMED BILIARY

device

$194
ESD - EUS

device

$194
SPYGLASS

device

$122
OLYMPUS EUS DEVICES

device

$81
JAGWIRE

device

$57
AXIOS

device

$53
BEACON

device

$13
OLYMPUS BILIARY DEVICES

device

$10
COOK MEDICAL ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND

device

$5
† 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.

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 30, 2018 $3,825 VIABIL BILIARY ENDOPROSTHESIS Honoraria W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
May 9, 2018 $3,375 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other COVIDIEN LP
May 18, 2018 $1,600 COOK MEDICAL ENDOSCOPY Consulting WILSON COOK MEDICAL INCORPORATED
Jul 13, 2018 $1,125 VIABIL BILIARY ENDOPROSTHESIS Consulting W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
May 8, 2018 $800 COOK MEDICAL BILIARY Consulting WILSON COOK MEDICAL INCORPORATED
May 9, 2018 $710 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging COVIDIEN LP
Feb 23, 2018 $615 No Listed Product Consulting OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Jul 12, 2018 $600 COOK MEDICAL METAL STENTS Consulting WILSON COOK MEDICAL INCORPORATED
Apr 18, 2018 $375 SMALL BOWEL Consulting COVIDIEN LP
Mar 30, 2018 $375 VIABIL BILIARY ENDOPROSTHESIS Travel and Lodging W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Feb 15, 2018 $324 VIABIL BILIARY ENDOPROSTHESIS Travel and Lodging W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Dec 28, 2018 $224 EVIS EXERA OLYMPUS CAPITAL ACCESSORIES ENDOCUFF DEVICES SCOPEGUIDE Travel and Lodging OLYMPUS CORPORATION OF THE AMERICAS
Jun 27, 2018 $200 COOK MEDICAL BILIARY Consulting WILSON COOK MEDICAL INCORPORATED
Feb 28, 2018 $194 CONMED BILIARY Food and Beverage CONMED CORPORATION
Nov 2, 2018 $122 SPYGLASS Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 14, 2018 $97 ESD - EUS Food and Beverage FUJIFILM MEDICAL SYSTEMS USA, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $97 ESD - EUS Food and Beverage FUJIFILM MEDICAL SYSTEMS USA, INC.
Oct 16, 2018 $81 OLYMPUS EUS DEVICES Food and Beverage OLYMPUS AMERICA INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $57 JAGWIRE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Dec 13, 2018 $57 No Listed Product Food and Beverage US ENDOSCOPY

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/106332

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.