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/128911
  • 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/128911
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.

KURT VONFRICKEN

Listed Specialty: Surgery
100 HIGH ST, C3, BUFFALO, NY, 14203-1126

2018 Payments: At a Glance

40

payments

$859

payment total

14

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 40 $859

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†
LIFEVEST

device

 $112
EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM

device

 $105
PICO

device

 $95
BRIDGE

device

 $75
XARELTO

drug

 $69
RESONATE

device

 $49
ACCOLADE

device

 $42
C.A.T.S.

device

 $42
SARNS

device

 $42
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $41
ACTICOAT RANGE

device

 $31
OPSITE RANGE

device

 $31
ALLEVYN

device

 $30
INSPIRIS RESILIA AORTIC VALVE

device

 $30
CCOMBO PULMONARY ARTERY CATHETERS

device

 $26
ACC2 CARDIAC CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM

device

 $21
ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION

device

 $21
ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM

device

 $21
CHANTIX

drug

 $18
ELIQUIS

drug

 $18
† 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/128911

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
May 14, 2018 $99 LIFEVEST Food and Beverage ZOLL SERVICES LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LIFECOR CORP)
Jun 27, 2018 $95 PICO Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
May 7, 2018 $60 BRIDGE Food and Beverage PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Aug 26, 2018 $42 SARNS C.A.T.S. Food and Beverage TERUMO CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Sep 11, 2018 $32 No Listed Product Food and Beverage MEDELA LLC
Dec 13, 2018 $29 EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Oct 3, 2018 $26 RESONATE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 5, 2018 $26 CCOMBO PULMONARY ARTERY CATHETERS Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Sep 22, 2018 $23 RESONATE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 3, 2018 $21 ACC2 CARDIAC CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage ATRICURE, INC.
Apr 21, 2018 $20 EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jun 8, 2018 $18 ACCOLADE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jan 18, 2018 $18 CHANTIX ELIQUIS Food and Beverage PFIZER INC.
Sep 17, 2018 $18 BAXDELA VABOMERE ORBACTIV MENOCIN Food and Beverage MELINTA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Dec 21, 2018 $17 EMBLEM SICD ELECTRODE DELIVERY SYSTEM Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 28, 2018 $17 EPI-SENSE GUIDED COAGULATION SYSTEM WITH VISITRAX, MODELS Food and Beverage ATRICURE, INC.
Aug 29, 2018 $16 EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jul 15, 2018 $15 INSPIRIS RESILIA AORTIC VALVE Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Dec 1, 2018 $15 ALLEVYN OPSITE RANGE ACTICOAT RANGE Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Sep 10, 2018 $15 ALLEVYN OPSITE RANGE ACTICOAT RANGE Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.

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/128911

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.