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/122338
  • 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/122338
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.


SURENDER SANDELLA

Listed Specialty: Interventional Cardiology
2109 GREEN VALLEY RD, NEW ALBANY, IN, 47150-4693

2018 Payments: At a Glance

113

payments

$9,462

payment total

26

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
18 $5,589
Food and Beverage
94 $3,783
Education
1 $90

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

$2,202
GLIDESHEATH

device

$1,538
OPTITORQUE

device

$1,538
HEARTRAIL

device

$1,530
MICRA

device

$1,198
GENERAL STRUCTURAL HEART

device

$1,177
TR BAND

device

$941
GLIDEWIRE

device

$689
EMBLEM

device

$566
GENERAL VASCULAR ACCESS

device

$350
ENTRESTO

drug

$210
ASSURITY PACEMAKER

device

$205
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$198
ALLURE CRT PACEMAKER

device

$155
ALLURE QUADRA RF CRT PACEMAKER

device

$141
CRT-DS

device

$136
LIFEVEST

device

$130
RANEXA

drug

$125
TRYTON SIDE BRANCH STENT

device

$120
OPTIS CORONARY IMAGING SYSTEM

device

$111
† 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/122338

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
May 17, 2018 $923 GENERAL STRUCTURAL HEART Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 19, 2018 $658 OPTITORQUE HEARTRAIL GLIDESHEATH GLIDEWIRE Travel and Lodging TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Sep 16, 2018 $505 MICRA Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jul 17, 2018 $473 WATCHMAN Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 16, 2018 $365 WATCHMAN Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 26, 2018 $316 GENERAL VASCULAR ACCESS Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 17, 2018 $311 WATCHMAN Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 16, 2018 $304 WATCHMAN Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Mar 23, 2018 $271 EMBLEM Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 17, 2018 $258 WATCHMAN Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jan 31, 2018 $252 OPTITORQUE HEARTRAIL TR BAND GLIDESHEATH Travel and Lodging TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Feb 22, 2018 $249 OPTITORQUE HEARTRAIL TR BAND GLIDESHEATH Food and Beverage TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Feb 22, 2018 $223 OPTITORQUE HEARTRAIL TR BAND GLIDESHEATH Travel and Lodging TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Sep 16, 2018 $190 MICRA Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jul 17, 2018 $188 WATCHMAN Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Mar 23, 2018 $172 EMBLEM Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 4, 2018 $155 ALLURE CRT PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 17, 2018 $141 ALLURE QUADRA RF CRT PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 16, 2018 $138 MICRA Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
May 17, 2018 $137 GENERAL STRUCTURAL HEART 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/122338

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.