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/146882
  • 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/146882
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.

DONALD ATKINS

Listed Specialty: Neurological Surgery
4410 MEDICAL DR, STE 610, SAN ANTONIO, TX, 78229-6306

2018 Payments: At a Glance

131

payments

$63,029

payment total

6

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Royalty or License
 4 $57,879
Promotional Speaking/Other
 2 $2,100
Food and Beverage
 124 $2,098
Consulting
 1 $952

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†
CALIBER

device

 $57,879
SPECTRA WAVEWRITER

device

 $1,454
PRECISION

device

 $1,100
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $952
PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS

device

 $451
IFUSE IMPLANT

device

 $332
SCS IPGS

device

 $235
GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT

device

 $210
KYPHON BALLOON KYPHOPLASTY

device

 $115
SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM

device

 $57
PRIMEADVANCED

device

 $44
PENTA SCS LEADS

device

 $36
NEUROMODULATION-RESEARCH ONLY

device

 $28
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

 $23
AXIUM INS DRG IPG

device

 $22
COVEREDGE

device

 $15
SCS LEADS

device

 $15
RESTORE

device

 $13
OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION

device

 $13
SPINAL CORD STIMULATION ACCESSORIES

device

 $8
† 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/146882

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 31, 2018 $15,878 CALIBER Royalty or License GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Jun 30, 2018 $14,823 CALIBER Royalty or License GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Sep 30, 2018 $13,782 CALIBER Royalty or License GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Dec 31, 2018 $13,396 CALIBER Royalty or License GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Apr 11, 2018 $1,100 PRECISION Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 6, 2018 $1,000 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Feb 26, 2018 $952 No Listed Product Consulting MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Feb 26, 2018 $150 SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Oct 22, 2018 $139 PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jan 11, 2018 $130 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 16, 2018 $127 PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jan 11, 2018 $124 GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Dec 3, 2018 $94 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Nov 15, 2018 $83 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 24, 2018 $74 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Sep 10, 2018 $70 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $62 KYPHON BALLOON KYPHOPLASTY Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 25, 2018 $62 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jan 12, 2018 $46 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
May 21, 2018 $46 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, 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/146882

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.