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/165984
  • 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/165984
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 SUMMA

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
3035 N. MAIN STREET, SOQUEL, CA, 95073-2204

2018 Payments: At a Glance

126

payments

$80,291

payment total

9

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 14 $40,423
Nonaccredited Training
 4 $16,600
Ownership or Investment Interest
 1 $12,370
Travel and Lodging
 56 $8,616
Food and Beverage
 51 $2,282

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†
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $14,733
PRODISC C

device

 $13,078
MORPHABOND ER

drug

 $12,849
IFUSE IMPLANT

device

 $11,785
TLIF

device

 $11,092
XLIF

device

 $10,451
CAVUX CERVICAL CAGE

device

 $5,163
DTRAX SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $5,163
ALLY BONE SCREW

device

 $5,163
BIOLOGIX ALLOGRAFT BONE

device

 $5,163
PLIF

device

 $1,366
VU APOD-L

device

 $500
ALIF

device

 $477
PULSE

device

 $164
IGA

device

 $150
PRODISC L

device

 $122
PRECEPT

device

 $120
TRAVERSE

device

 $120
GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT

device

 $59
LEVERAGE

device

 $45
† 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/165984

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Feb 2, 2018 $12,370 No Listed Product Ownership or Investment Interest SAN FRANCISCO SURGICAL SERVICES, LLC
Mar 1, 2018 $11,470 MORPHABOND ER Consulting DAIICHI SANKYO INC.
Sep 4, 2018 $5,125 PRODISC C Consulting CENTINEL SPINE, LLC
Mar 14, 2018 $5,125 CAVUX CERVICAL CAGE DTRAX SPINAL SYSTEM ALLY BONE SCREW BIOLOGIX ALLOGRAFT BONE Consulting PROVIDENCE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Jul 19, 2018 $4,400 TLIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 13, 2018 $4,275 IFUSE IMPLANT Consulting SI-BONE, INC.
Sep 27, 2018 $4,275 IFUSE IMPLANT Consulting SI-BONE, INC.
Nov 20, 2018 $4,200 XLIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 2, 2018 $4,000 TLIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Jun 28, 2018 $4,000 XLIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Feb 27, 2018 $2,625 PRODISC C Consulting CENTINEL SPINE, LLC
Jan 31, 2018 $2,250 IFUSE IMPLANT Consulting SI-BONE, INC.
Jul 16, 2018 $1,000 PRODISC C Consulting CENTINEL SPINE, LLC
Jul 30, 2018 $875 PRODISC C Consulting CENTINEL SPINE, LLC
Nov 19, 2018 $875 PRODISC C Consulting CENTINEL SPINE, LLC
May 7, 2018 $875 PRODISC C Consulting CENTINEL SPINE, LLC
Mar 26, 2018 $750 No Listed Product Consulting SEASPINE ORTHOPEDICS CORPORATION
Oct 1, 2018 $625 PRODISC C Travel and Lodging CENTINEL SPINE, LLC
Sep 27, 2018 $608 IFUSE IMPLANT Travel and Lodging SI-BONE, INC.
Feb 9, 2018 $568 MORPHABOND ER Travel and Lodging DAIICHI SANKYO 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/165984

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.