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/112596
- 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/112596
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.
FRANK CUOCO
Listed Specialty: Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
171 ASHLEY AVE, CHARLESTON, SC, 29425-0001
2018 Payments: At a Glance
173
payments
$46,680
payment total
20
companies paid this doctor
Types of Payments
| Category | Payments | Payment Value |
|---|---|---|
Consulting |
12 | $25,985 |
Promotional Speaking/Other |
3 | $12,000 |
Food and Beverage |
141 | $5,308 |
Travel and Lodging |
17 | $3,387 |
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† |
|---|---|---|
WATCHMAN |
device |
$12,758 |
ABLATION THERAPY HARDWARE |
device |
$9,513 |
FORTIFY ASSURA, ELLIPSE ICD |
device |
$4,638 |
EP-WORKMATE CLARIS SYSTEM |
device |
$4,014 |
ADVISOR CATHETER |
device |
$3,645 |
CARTO 3 SYSTEM |
device |
$3,447 |
CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM |
device |
$2,665 |
THERAPIES |
device |
$2,011 |
Payments with no listed product |
N/A |
$552 |
ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM |
device |
$506 |
ELIQUIS |
drug |
$266 |
ENTRESTO |
drug |
$207 |
ASSURITY PACEMAKER |
device |
$205 |
XARELTO |
drug |
$192 |
AGILIS NXT EP INTRODUCER |
device |
$160 |
CIRCULAR MAPPING CATHETERS |
device |
$148 |
CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM |
device |
$143 |
REVEAL LINQ |
device |
$128 |
MERLIN CONNECTIVITY AND REMOTE |
device |
$128 |
QUADRA ASSURA CRT DEFIBRILLATOR |
device |
$120 |
| † 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/112596
Payment Details
| When | How Much | Related To | What For | From | Third Party Payee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27, 2018 | $4,000 | WATCHMAN | Promotional Speaking/Other | BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION | |
| Feb 21, 2018 | $4,000 | WATCHMAN | Promotional Speaking/Other | BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION | |
| Sep 5, 2018 | $4,000 | WATCHMAN | Promotional Speaking/Other | BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION | |
| Mar 15, 2018 | $3,568 | ABLATION THERAPY HARDWARE | Consulting | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | |
| Dec 21, 2018 | $3,568 | ADVISOR CATHETER | Consulting | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | |
| Mar 15, 2018 | $3,568 | ABLATION THERAPY HARDWARE | Consulting | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | |
| Mar 8, 2018 | $2,500 | CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM | Consulting | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | |
| Jan 16, 2018 | $2,450 | CARTO 3 SYSTEM | Consulting | MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. | |
| Dec 21, 2018 | $2,230 | FORTIFY ASSURA, ELLIPSE ICD | Consulting | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | |
| Sep 27, 2018 | $2,230 | FORTIFY ASSURA, ELLIPSE ICD | Consulting | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | |
| Mar 15, 2018 | $1,784 | ABLATION THERAPY HARDWARE | Consulting | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | |
| Aug 17, 2018 | $1,338 | EP-WORKMATE CLARIS SYSTEM | Consulting | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | |
| Aug 17, 2018 | $1,338 | EP-WORKMATE CLARIS SYSTEM | Consulting | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | |
| Aug 17, 2018 | $1,338 | EP-WORKMATE CLARIS SYSTEM | Consulting | ABBOTT LABORATORIES | |
| Jan 3, 2018 | $579 | CARTO 3 SYSTEM | Travel and Lodging | MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. | |
| Aug 23, 2018 | $536 | THERAPIES | Travel and Lodging | BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION | |
| Jan 18, 2018 | $497 | THERAPIES | Travel and Lodging | BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION | |
| May 28, 2018 | $340 | THERAPIES | Travel and Lodging | BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION | |
| Jun 27, 2018 | $314 | WATCHMAN | Travel and Lodging | BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION | |
| Jan 18, 2018 | $219 | THERAPIES | Travel and Lodging | BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION |
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/112596
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.