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/1379914
  • 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/1379914
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.

LEON VARJABEDIAN

Listed Specialty: Cardiovascular Disease
462 GRIDER ST, DAVID K. MILLER BUILDING, BUFFALO, NY, 14215-3021

2018 Payments: At a Glance

55

payments

$4,779

payment total

15

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 49 $3,094
Travel and Lodging
 6 $1,685

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

 $1,378
COREVALVE EVOLUT

device

 $998
IMPELLA

device

 $291
GENERAL VASCULAR ACCESS

device

 $264
REVEAL LINQ

device

 $251
ENDURANT

device

 $192
EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE

device

 $192
ENTRESTO

drug

 $165
APTUS HELI-FX

device

 $146
RESOLUTE

device

 $125
GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION

device

 $117
LIVALO

drug

 $111
IGT_D PERIPHERAL

device

 $105
VIBATIV

drug

 $100
OPTIS CORONARY IMAGING SYSTEM

device

 $100
HAWKONE

device

 $65
LIFEVEST

device

 $53
ELIQUIS

drug

 $35
RXI CONSUMABLES

device

 $31
CVI CONSUMABLES

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/1379914

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Apr 19, 2018 $726 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
May 22, 2018 $318 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jun 1, 2018 $264 GENERAL VASCULAR ACCESS Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 10, 2018 $259 COREVALVE EVOLUT Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
May 22, 2018 $249 No Listed Product Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Oct 16, 2018 $192 ENDURANT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Oct 11, 2018 $189 COREVALVE EVOLUT Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jun 28, 2018 $179 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $172 REVEAL LINQ Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
May 17, 2018 $164 EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Oct 9, 2018 $157 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 7, 2018 $146 APTUS HELI-FX Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jun 6, 2018 $133 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $117 GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jan 17, 2018 $117 ENTRESTO Food and Beverage NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
Apr 5, 2018 $112 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Oct 4, 2018 $111 LIVALO Food and Beverage KOWA PHARMACEUTICALS AMERICA, INC.
Jan 25, 2018 $110 RESOLUTE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jul 18, 2018 $105 IGT_D PERIPHERAL Food and Beverage PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Apr 18, 2018 $100 VIBATIV Food and Beverage THERAVANCE BIOPHARMA 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/1379914

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.