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/153590
  • 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/153590
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.

DIEGO HERRERA FIGUEIRA

Listed Specialty: Sports Medicine
619 19TH ST S, BIRMINGHAM, AL, 35249-1900

2018 Payments: At a Glance

60

payments

$2,912

payment total

13

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 56 $1,611
Travel and Lodging
 3 $1,276
Education
 1 $25

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†
GRYPHON

device

 $1,317
REGENETEN

device

 $306
HEALIX

device

 $294
DUEXIS

drug

 $225
FIRSTPASS MINI

device

 $153
COBLATION WANDS

device

 $146
BME NITINOL CONTINUOUS COMPRESSION IMPLANTS

device

 $113
REUNION

device

 $70
MONOVISC

device

 $70
AMBIENT MEGAVAC 90

device

 $60
MENISCUS MENDER II

device

 $60
SMARTSTITCH

device

 $60
ACUFEX

device

 $58
SUPER TURBOVAC 90

device

 $58
GELSYN 3

device

 $54
DJO SURGICAL ALTIVATE ANATOMIC SYSTEM

device

 $47
DJO SURGICAL ALTIVATE REVERSE

device

 $47
DRG IPGS

device

 $38
ZILRETTA

drug

 $37
ELITE PREMIUM INSTRUMENTS

device

 $31
† 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/153590

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 23, 2018 $742 GRYPHON Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Mar 23, 2018 $518 GRYPHON Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
May 7, 2018 $144 REGENETEN Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Nov 6, 2018 $113 BME NITINOL CONTINUOUS COMPRESSION IMPLANTS Food and Beverage MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Mar 25, 2018 $95 HEALIX Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
Jul 20, 2018 $93 FIRSTPASS MINI Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Mar 23, 2018 $86 HEALIX Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
Jun 21, 2018 $75 REGENETEN Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Aug 31, 2018 $60 MENISCUS MENDER II AMBIENT MEGAVAC 90 SMARTSTITCH FIRSTPASS MINI Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Aug 31, 2018 $58 ACUFEX COBLATION WANDS SUPER TURBOVAC 90 Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Nov 1, 2018 $57 COBLATION WANDS REGENETEN Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Sep 5, 2018 $54 GELSYN 3 Food and Beverage BIOVENTUS LLC
Jun 20, 2018 $47 DJO SURGICAL ALTIVATE ANATOMIC SYSTEM DJO SURGICAL ALTIVATE REVERSE Food and Beverage ENCORE MEDICAL, LP
Mar 26, 2018 $43 HEALIX Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $42 REUNION Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Mar 24, 2018 $40 HEALIX Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
Mar 26, 2018 $38 DRG IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 31, 2018 $31 COBLATION WANDS ELITE PREMIUM INSTRUMENTS Q-FIX Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Mar 25, 2018 $30 HEALIX Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
Feb 1, 2018 $28 REUNION Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION

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/153590

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.