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/1149078
  • 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/1149078
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.

NICHOLAS KOTCH

Listed Specialty: Internal Medicine
6000 49TH ST N, ST PETERSBURG, FL, 33709-2114

2018 Payments: At a Glance

256

payments

$39,926

payment total

6

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Grant
 2 $15,588
Travel and Lodging
 20 $14,022
Food and Beverage
 232 $10,099
Education
 2 $218

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

 $34,421
RHYTHMIA

device

 $1,895
ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM

device

 $538
CARTO 3 SYSTEM

device

 $441
AZURE

device

 $285
ARCTIC FRONT

device

 $253
CARTOSOUND

device

 $224
ASSURITY PACEMAKER

device

 $214
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

 $195
MICRA

device

 $173
AMPLIA MRI

device

 $156
REVEAL LINQ

device

 $154
VIVA

device

 $153
QUARTET CRT LEAD

device

 $153
VISITAG

device

 $119
GENERAL EP

device

 $99
CONFIDENSE

device

 $95
PENTARAY

device

 $95
SOUNDSTAR

device

 $95
ACCENT PACEMAKER

device

 $91
† 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/1149078

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jun 28, 2018 $15,000 No Listed Product Grant MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. University Of South Florida
Jul 1, 2018 $2,292 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Dec 18, 2018 $1,759 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Apr 24, 2018 $1,499 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
May 14, 2018 $1,332 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Apr 17, 2018 $1,032 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Dec 18, 2018 $770 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Dec 13, 2018 $700 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Sep 20, 2018 $684 RHYTHMIA Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 18, 2018 $620 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Mar 10, 2018 $604 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Apr 3, 2018 $588 No Listed Product Grant BIOTRONIK INC.
Sep 20, 2018 $553 RHYTHMIA Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 4, 2018 $487 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Mar 4, 2018 $419 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Apr 24, 2018 $378 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Feb 15, 2018 $313 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Nov 2, 2018 $270 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
May 16, 2018 $268 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Sep 21, 2018 $243 RHYTHMIA Food and Beverage 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/1149078

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.