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/1379238
  • 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/1379238
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.

HIRO KAWATA

Listed Specialty: Cardiovascular Disease
9444 MEDICAL CENTER DR, LA JOLLA, CA, 92037

2018 Payments: At a Glance

25

payments

$5,085

payment total

8

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Grant
 1 $2,100
Travel and Lodging
 3 $1,478
Food and Beverage
 20 $1,257
Promotional Speaking/Other
 1 $250

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†
GENERAL EP

device

 $2,100
GENERAL TACHY

device

 $1,305
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $528
CARTO 3 SYSTEM

device

 $324
RHYTHMIA

device

 $156
AZURE

device

 $130
ATTAIN

device

 $128
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

 $124
ACUITY

device

 $122
LIFEVEST

device

 $104
CARTOSOUND

device

 $67
XARELTO

drug

 $27
PRALUENT

drug

 $24
JARDIANCE

drug

 $12
PRADAXA

drug

 $12
PRAXBIND

drug

 $12
† 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
Mar 27, 2018 $2,100 GENERAL EP Grant BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION HEART RHYTHM SOCIETY
Nov 12, 2018 $954 GENERAL TACHY Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 12, 2018 $291 GENERAL TACHY Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 16, 2018 $250 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jun 28, 2018 $233 CARTO 3 SYSTEM Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
May 8, 2018 $159 No Listed Product Food and Beverage MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Apr 10, 2018 $128 ATTAIN Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jan 20, 2018 $124 GENERAL THERAPIES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 9, 2018 $119 No Listed Product Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
May 9, 2018 $117 AZURE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 13, 2018 $91 ACUITY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 6, 2018 $89 RHYTHMIA Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 19, 2018 $83 LIFEVEST Food and Beverage ZOLL SERVICES LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LIFECOR CORP)
Sep 10, 2018 $67 RHYTHMIA Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 6, 2018 $67 CARTO 3 SYSTEM CARTOSOUND Food and Beverage BIOSENSE WEBSTER, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $31 GENERAL TACHY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 13, 2018 $29 GENERAL TACHY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 25, 2018 $27 XARELTO Food and Beverage JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
Apr 30, 2018 $25 CARTO 3 SYSTEM Food and Beverage BIOSENSE WEBSTER, INC.
May 15, 2018 $24 PRALUENT Food and Beverage REGENERON HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS, 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/1379238

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.