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/1394871
  • 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/1394871
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.

TREVOR SCHMITZ

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
450 LAUREL ST, SUITE A, DES MOINES, IA, 50314-3045

2018 Payments: At a Glance

39

payments

$898

payment total

3

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 39 $898

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 K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION

device

 $326
PRESTIGE

device

 $204
GROWING SPINE

device

 $70
YUKON OCT SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $57
INFINITY OCT SYSTEM

device

 $51
AERO

device

 $42
ES2

device

 $42
TRITANIUM

device

 $42
CD HORIZON

device

 $39
ADVANCED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

device

 $26
MAGNIFUSE

device

 $17
VENADO BONE GRAFT SYSTEM

device

 $13
CORNERSTONE

device

 $13
METRX

device

 $12
CASCADIA INTERBODY SYSTEM

device

 $11
ZEVO

device

 $7
GRAFTON

device

 $6
ARTISAN

device

 $3
† 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
Feb 13, 2018 $94 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Dec 20, 2018 $84 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Dec 29, 2018 $64 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Nov 13, 2018 $54 PRESTIGE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 12, 2018 $51 PRESTIGE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jan 25, 2018 $44 PRESTIGE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
May 31, 2018 $43 YUKON OCT SPINAL SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Oct 12, 2018 $42 TRITANIUM ES2 AERO Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Sep 7, 2018 $40 INFINITY OCT SYSTEM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
May 31, 2018 $35 PRESTIGE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 19, 2018 $32 CD HORIZON Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Feb 10, 2018 $27 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Sep 14, 2018 $26 ADVANCED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Aug 16, 2018 $24 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Aug 26, 2018 $20 GROWING SPINE Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Nov 2, 2018 $19 GROWING SPINE Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Feb 3, 2018 $19 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Jul 14, 2018 $16 GROWING SPINE Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Jul 20, 2018 $15 YUKON OCT SPINAL SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Nov 2, 2018 $14 GROWING SPINE Food and Beverage K2M, 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/1394871

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.