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/160153
  • 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/160153
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.

NOEL GOLDTHWAITE

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
1850 SULLIVAN AVE, SUITE 200, DALY CITY, CA, 94015-2221

2018 Payments: At a Glance

27

payments

$26,422

payment total

7

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Royalty or License
 4 $14,860
Consulting
 1 $9,572
Food and Beverage
 17 $1,001
Travel and Lodging
 5 $989

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†
MECTALIF

device

 $14,860
RELIVE

drug

 $9,572
IFUSE IMPLANT

device

 $991
MOJAVE PL 3D EXPANDABLE INTERBODY SYSTEM

device

 $303
BACS

device

 $165
EVEREST SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $155
CAVUX CERVICAL CAGE

device

 $151
DTRAX SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $151
ALLY BONE SCREW

device

 $151
BIOLOGIX ALLOGRAFT BONE

device

 $151
TITAN ENDOSKELETON

device

 $132
TITAN NANOLOCK

device

 $132
PROLIFT

device

 $76
CASCADIA INTERBODY SYSTEM

device

 $18
† 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
Jun 22, 2018 $9,572 RELIVE Consulting ALEVIO, LLC
Aug 13, 2018 $4,609 MECTALIF Royalty or License MEDACTA USA, INC.
Nov 29, 2018 $3,661 MECTALIF Royalty or License MEDACTA USA, INC.
May 9, 2018 $3,585 MECTALIF Royalty or License MEDACTA USA, INC.
Feb 20, 2018 $3,005 MECTALIF Royalty or License MEDACTA USA, INC.
May 18, 2018 $495 IFUSE IMPLANT Travel and Lodging SI-BONE, INC.
Jun 2, 2018 $181 IFUSE IMPLANT Travel and Lodging SI-BONE, INC.
Jan 4, 2018 $155 EVEREST SPINAL SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Jan 5, 2018 $152 MOJAVE PL 3D EXPANDABLE INTERBODY SYSTEM Travel and Lodging K2M, INC.
Jan 5, 2018 $152 MOJAVE PL 3D EXPANDABLE INTERBODY SYSTEM Travel and Lodging K2M, INC.
Jul 11, 2018 $132 TITAN ENDOSKELETON TITAN NANOLOCK Food and Beverage TITAN SPINE, LLC
Jun 1, 2018 $130 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Feb 6, 2018 $122 BACS Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Aug 27, 2018 $120 CAVUX CERVICAL CAGE DTRAX SPINAL SYSTEM ALLY BONE SCREW BIOLOGIX ALLOGRAFT BONE Food and Beverage PROVIDENCE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
May 22, 2018 $115 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Dec 10, 2018 $76 PROLIFT Food and Beverage LIFE SPINE, INC.
Feb 6, 2018 $42 BACS Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
May 22, 2018 $29 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Jan 4, 2018 $18 CASCADIA INTERBODY SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $16 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/160153

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.