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/147144
  • 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/147144
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.

CHRISTOPHER SHAFFREY

Listed Specialty: Neurological Surgery
LEE ST, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, 22908-0001

2018 Payments: At a Glance

121

payments

$1,636,021

payment total

9

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Royalty or License
 24 $1.61M
Promotional Speaking/Other
 3 $11,850
Travel and Lodging
 49 $11,601
Food and Beverage
 43 $3,525
Consulting
 2 $1,800

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†
RELINE

device

 $484K
CD HORIZON

device

 $462K
TLX

device

 $380K
ARCHON

device

 $377K
BASE

device

 $377K
BRIGADE

device

 $377K
COROENT

device

 $377K
CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM

device

 $261K
GALLERY LAMINOPLASTY

device

 $261K
LINEUM POSTERIOR CERVICAL

device

 $261K
POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $261K
VERTE-STACK

device

 $35,886
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $6,769
O-ARM-SPINE

device

 $2,100
ALIF

device

 $1,979
XLIF

device

 $1,113
TLIF

device

 $402
COALESCE

device

 $329
PULSE

device

 $282
SYNAPSE

device

 $166
† 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/147144

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Nov 15, 2018 $483,920 RELINE Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
Feb 13, 2018 $98,143 ARCHON COROENT BRIGADE TLX BASE Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
Nov 13, 2018 $95,039 COROENT TLX BASE BRIGADE ARCHON Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 13, 2018 $94,116 BASE COROENT ARCHON TLX BRIGADE Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
May 9, 2018 $89,463 COROENT TLX BASE ARCHON BRIGADE Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
Dec 17, 2018 $87,278 CD HORIZON Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
May 23, 2018 $84,880 CD HORIZON Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Aug 30, 2018 $84,549 CD HORIZON Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Feb 23, 2018 $82,384 CD HORIZON Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $67,590 GALLERY LAMINOPLASTY LINEUM POSTERIOR CERVICAL POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Feb 14, 2018 $64,676 CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM LINEUM POSTERIOR CERVICAL GALLERY LAMINOPLASTY Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Aug 14, 2018 $64,547 LINEUM POSTERIOR CERVICAL POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM GALLERY LAMINOPLASTY Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
May 14, 2018 $64,118 CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM GALLERY LAMINOPLASTY LINEUM POSTERIOR CERVICAL POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Dec 7, 2018 $28,957 CD HORIZON Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Feb 23, 2018 $25,848 CD HORIZON Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Aug 30, 2018 $25,450 CD HORIZON Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
May 23, 2018 $24,886 CD HORIZON Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Sep 5, 2018 $10,006 VERTE-STACK Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
May 23, 2018 $9,433 VERTE-STACK Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Dec 7, 2018 $8,824 VERTE-STACK Royalty or License MEDTRONIC USA, 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/147144

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.