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/182078
  • 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/182078
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.

PATRICK GREIFFENSTEIN

Listed Specialty: Trauma Surgery
1542 TULANE AVE, NEW ORLEANS, LA, 70112-2865

2018 Payments: At a Glance

76

payments

$40,423

payment total

11

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 17 $34,010
Travel and Lodging
 33 $5,085
Food and Beverage
 26 $1,328

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†
RIB FIX BLU

device

 $31,164
MATRIXRIB

device

 $4,558
CMF EXTERNAL FIXATION

device

 $2,835
CMF INSTRUMENTS

device

 $2,835
MATRIXWAVE

device

 $2,835
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $2,656
STERNALOCK 360

device

 $463
CMF NON

device

 $372
CMF & THORACIC PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

device

 $326
TRAUMAONE

device

 $293
ER-REBOA

device

 $159
WALTER

device

 $125
STRATTICE

device

 $111
ALLOWRAP

device

 $86
BIO4

device

 $86
HYDROSET

device

 $86
NEPHROCHECK

device

 $50
QUIKCLOT

device

 $28
CONTROL+

device

 $28
GATTEX

drug

 $19
† 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/182078

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Oct 25, 2018 $4,300 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Feb 22, 2018 $3,440 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Jun 7, 2018 $3,010 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Apr 23, 2018 $2,835 CMF EXTERNAL FIXATION CMF INSTRUMENTS MATRIXRIB MATRIXWAVE Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Feb 20, 2018 $2,580 No Listed Product Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Oct 25, 2018 $2,365 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Nov 26, 2018 $2,365 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Feb 22, 2018 $1,935 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Feb 22, 2018 $1,720 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Nov 26, 2018 $1,720 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Jun 7, 2018 $1,505 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Jun 7, 2018 $1,505 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Nov 26, 2018 $1,075 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Nov 26, 2018 $1,075 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Nov 26, 2018 $860 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Oct 25, 2018 $860 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Jun 7, 2018 $860 RIB FIX BLU Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Oct 26, 2018 $682 RIB FIX BLU Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
May 21, 2018 $457 RIB FIX BLU Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $422 MATRIXRIB Travel and Lodging SYNTHES USA PRODUCTS LLC

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/182078

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.