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/1209510
  • 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/1209510
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.

JAMES MILBURN

Listed Specialty: Vascular & Interventional Radiology
1000 OCHSNER BLVD, COVINGTON, LA, 70433-8107

2018 Payments: At a Glance

58

payments

$28,347

payment total

6

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 20 $16,132
Consulting
 1 $5,000
Promotional Speaking/Other
 2 $4,800
Food and Beverage
 35 $2,415

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

 $12,375
PENUMBRA SYSTEM

device

 $7,465
CATALYST

device

 $5,701
SOMATOM DRIVE

device

 $1,168
MAGNETOM SOLA

device

 $483
SOFIA

device

 $350
HEADLINER GUIDEWIRE

device

 $257
LVIS

device

 $249
HYDROSOFT 3D COIL

device

 $200
MAMMOMAT REVELATION

device

 $154
ARTIS Q

device

 $112
HYDROFRAME COIL

device

 $106
LVIS JR.

device

 $106
WEB

device

 $93
PENUMBRA SMART COIL

device

 $93
TREVO

device

 $89
SOMATOM GO

device

 $76
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

device

 $70
AZUR

device

 $43
SOMATOM FORCE

device

 $26
† 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/1209510

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Apr 20, 2018 $10,268 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging GE HEALTHCARE
Oct 18, 2018 $5,000 CATALYST Consulting STRYKER CORPORATION
Oct 10, 2018 $2,400 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Promotional Speaking/Other PENUMBRA, INC.
Mar 20, 2018 $2,400 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Promotional Speaking/Other PENUMBRA, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $1,065 SOMATOM DRIVE Travel and Lodging SIEMENS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS USA, INC.
Aug 29, 2018 $792 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Apr 10, 2018 $781 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging GE HEALTHCARE
Apr 20, 2018 $596 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging GE HEALTHCARE
Sep 28, 2018 $399 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Oct 1, 2018 $343 MAGNETOM SOLA Travel and Lodging SIEMENS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS USA, INC.
Apr 20, 2018 $322 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging GE HEALTHCARE
Sep 29, 2018 $299 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Oct 18, 2018 $280 CATALYST Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Jul 25, 2018 $249 LVIS SOFIA HEADLINER GUIDEWIRE Food and Beverage MICROVENTION, INC.
Sep 30, 2018 $198 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Feb 28, 2018 $166 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Food and Beverage PENUMBRA, INC.
Aug 15, 2018 $158 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Food and Beverage PENUMBRA, INC.
Sep 30, 2018 $157 PENUMBRA SYSTEM Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Nov 27, 2018 $154 MAMMOMAT REVELATION Food and Beverage SIEMENS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS USA, INC.
Oct 9, 2018 $153 CATALYST Travel and Lodging STRYKER 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/1209510

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.