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/161504
  • 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/161504
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.

JUSTIN SMITH

Listed Specialty: Neurological Surgery
UVA HOSPITAL, LEE STREET, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, 22908-0001

2018 Payments: At a Glance

88

payments

$233,798

payment total

7

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Royalty or License
 9 $170K
Consulting
 20 $41,025
Travel and Lodging
 29 $15,060
Honoraria
 1 $5,400
Food and Beverage
 29 $2,359

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†
VITALITY

device

 $163K
CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM

device

 $26,804
BACS

device

 $20,673
TIMBERLINE

device

 $18,108
POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $16,800
TIMBERLINE MPF

device

 $16,800
VITALITY POWER

device

 $16,800
GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION

device

 $10,625
PASS-LP

device

 $9,824
UNID

device

 $9,824
RELINE

device

 $329
NEXGEN

device

 $300
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $210
NVM5

device

 $154
SYNFIX

device

 $115
CASPIAN SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $114
LESSRAY

device

 $93
BENDINI

device

 $89
IGA

device

 $89
NUVALINE/NUVAMAP O.R.

device

 $89
† 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/161504

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 15, 2018 $38,659 VITALITY Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $36,010 VITALITY Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Feb 27, 2018 $31,204 VITALITY Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
May 17, 2018 $31,182 VITALITY Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Jul 3, 2018 $8,629 PASS-LP UNID Travel and Lodging MEDICREA USA, CORP.
Aug 14, 2018 $8,095 CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
May 14, 2018 $7,420 CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Feb 14, 2018 $7,257 CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Dec 14, 2018 $6,095 VITALITY Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Dec 18, 2018 $5,700 BACS Consulting STRYKER CORPORATION
Apr 10, 2018 $5,700 BACS Consulting K2M, INC.
Oct 10, 2018 $5,550 VITALITY VITALITY POWER POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM TIMBERLINE MPF TIMBERLINE Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
May 1, 2018 $5,400 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Honoraria K2M, INC.
Jul 31, 2018 $4,575 BACS Consulting K2M, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $4,032 CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Oct 10, 2018 $2,400 VITALITY POWER VITALITY TIMBERLINE POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM TIMBERLINE MPF Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Oct 10, 2018 $2,400 VITALITY POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM TIMBERLINE MPF VITALITY POWER TIMBERLINE Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $2,400 POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM TIMBERLINE VITALITY POWER VITALITY TIMBERLINE MPF Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Jan 30, 2018 $2,250 BACS Consulting K2M, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $2,100 TIMBERLINE MPF VITALITY POLARIS POSTERIOR SPINAL SYSTEM TIMBERLINE VITALITY POWER Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, 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/161504

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.