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/1151127
  • 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/1151127
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.


JEFFERY NIEZGODA

Listed Specialty: Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
2500 W LAYTON AVE, STE 30, MILWAUKEE, WI, 53221-5436

2018 Payments: At a Glance

91

payments

$57,486

payment total

14

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
4 $17,225
Honoraria
5 $14,550
Travel and Lodging
39 $14,120
Consulting
2 $9,675
Food and Beverage
40 $1,849
Entertainment
1 $67

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
BLASTX

device

$24,714
ADAPTIC

device

$20,348
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$8,296
SILVERCEL

device

$3,173
VAC ULTA

device

$1,500
ACTIVAC

device

$796
SNAP

device

$796
VENASEAL

device

$455
BIOSORB

device

$300
TIELLE

device

$300
COOK MEDICAL ZILVER PTX

device

$215
CLOSUREFAST

device

$200
COOK MEDICAL AAA

device

$123
BAXDELA

drug

$122
SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM

device

$104
CVX-300

device

$99
IGT_D PERIPHERAL

device

$67
VAC VERAFLO CLEANSE CHOICE

device

$62
FLIXENE

device

$59
VIBATIV

drug

$19
† 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/1151127

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 20, 2018 $6,375 ADAPTIC Promotional Speaking/Other KCI USA, INC
Mar 22, 2018 $5,000 BLASTX Consulting NEXT SCIENCE LLC
Apr 27, 2018 $4,675 ADAPTIC Promotional Speaking/Other KCI USA, INC
Mar 23, 2018 $4,675 ADAPTIC Promotional Speaking/Other KCI USA, INC
Jul 27, 2018 $4,675 No Listed Product Consulting KCI USA, INC
Oct 16, 2018 $3,000 BLASTX Honoraria NEXT SCIENCE LLC
May 16, 2018 $3,000 BLASTX Honoraria NEXT SCIENCE LLC
Sep 26, 2018 $3,000 BLASTX Honoraria NEXT SCIENCE LLC
Sep 26, 2018 $3,000 BLASTX Honoraria NEXT SCIENCE LLC
Oct 16, 2018 $2,550 BLASTX Honoraria NEXT SCIENCE LLC
May 11, 2018 $2,047 BLASTX Travel and Lodging NEXT SCIENCE LLC
Aug 25, 2018 $1,500 VAC ULTA Promotional Speaking/Other KCI USA, INC
Sep 26, 2018 $1,089 BLASTX Travel and Lodging NEXT SCIENCE LLC
Aug 10, 2018 $913 BLASTX Travel and Lodging NEXT SCIENCE LLC
Sep 4, 2018 $871 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging MUSCULOSKELETAL TRANSPLANT FOUNDATION INC. American Express
Sep 4, 2018 $871 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging MUSCULOSKELETAL TRANSPLANT FOUNDATION INC. American Express
Sep 26, 2018 $868 BLASTX Travel and Lodging NEXT SCIENCE LLC
Apr 19, 2018 $645 ADAPTIC Travel and Lodging KCI USA, INC
Jul 31, 2018 $627 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging MUSCULOSKELETAL TRANSPLANT FOUNDATION INC. American Express
Jul 31, 2018 $627 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging MUSCULOSKELETAL TRANSPLANT FOUNDATION INC. American Express

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/1151127

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.