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/134698
  • 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/134698
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.

STEPHEN HOWELL

Listed Specialty: Adult Reconstructive Orthopaedic Surgery
8120 TIMBERLAKE WAY, SUITE 112, SACRAMENTO, CA, 95823-5412

2018 Payments: At a Glance

102

payments

$778,386

payment total

4

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 16 $414K
Royalty or License
 4 $295K
Travel and Lodging
 43 $50,602
Honoraria
 1 $16,400
Food and Beverage
 38 $2,342

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†
GMK SPHERE

device

 $368K
TOGGLELOC

device

 $157K
EZ LOC FMRL FIXATION

device

 $138K
TSOLUTION ONE SURGICAL SYSTEM

device

 $96,277
GMK

device

 $55,500
MYKNEE

device

 $2,484
AMISTEM

device

 $1,533
VERASENSE

device

 $78
MOTO PARTIAL KNEE

device

 $55
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $53
† 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.

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Nov 19, 2018 $133,072 GMK SPHERE Consulting MEDACTA USA, INC.
Aug 3, 2018 $104,600 GMK SPHERE Consulting MEDACTA USA, INC.
Feb 20, 2018 $85,555 TOGGLELOC Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
May 15, 2018 $73,716 EZ LOC FMRL FIXATION Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Aug 13, 2018 $71,519 TOGGLELOC Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Nov 13, 2018 $64,130 EZ LOC FMRL FIXATION Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Apr 12, 2018 $41,350 GMK SPHERE Consulting MEDACTA USA, INC.
Jan 18, 2018 $39,100 GMK GMK SPHERE Consulting MEDACTA USA, INC.
Jun 5, 2018 $16,400 GMK Honoraria MEDACTA USA, INC.
Nov 13, 2018 $11,029 GMK SPHERE Travel and Lodging MEDACTA USA, INC.
Mar 29, 2018 $10,344 GMK SPHERE Travel and Lodging MEDACTA USA, INC.
Aug 16, 2018 $8,000 TSOLUTION ONE SURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting THINK SURGICAL, INC.
Jun 19, 2018 $8,000 TSOLUTION ONE SURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting THINK SURGICAL, INC.
Oct 23, 2018 $8,000 TSOLUTION ONE SURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting THINK SURGICAL, INC.
Sep 18, 2018 $8,000 TSOLUTION ONE SURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting THINK SURGICAL, INC.
Jul 17, 2018 $8,000 TSOLUTION ONE SURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting THINK SURGICAL, INC.
Dec 13, 2018 $8,000 TSOLUTION ONE SURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting THINK SURGICAL, INC.
Jan 18, 2018 $8,000 TSOLUTION ONE SURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting THINK SURGICAL, INC.
Nov 13, 2018 $8,000 TSOLUTION ONE SURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting THINK SURGICAL, INC.
Feb 20, 2018 $8,000 TSOLUTION ONE SURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting THINK SURGICAL, 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/134698

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.