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/193077
  • 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/193077
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.


GARY SISKIN

Listed Specialty: Vascular & Interventional Radiology
ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER HOSPITAL, 47 NEW SCOTLAND AVE - RADIOLOGY, ALBANY, NY, 12208

2018 Payments: At a Glance

76

payments

$58,157

payment total

10

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
7 $34,300
Consulting
4 $14,100
Honoraria
1 $3,000
Travel and Lodging
16 $2,536
Food and Beverage
46 $2,321
Nonaccredited Training
2 $1,900

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
CONCERTO

device

$21,662
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$9,753
INTERLOCK

device

$4,694
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

$4,038
SIR-SPHERES MICROSPHERES

device

$3,705
MVP

device

$3,495
EMBOZENE

device

$2,642
JETSTREAM

device

$2,623
THERAPIES

device

$1,786
COOK MEDICAL EMBOLIZATION

device

$1,698
COOK MEDICAL INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

device

$700
ANGIOJET

device

$662
GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION

device

$291
GENERAL ATHERECTOMY

device

$137
COOK MEDICAL FILTERS

device

$126
POD

device

$44
LUTONIX

device

$40
GLIDEWIRE

device

$14
REBAR-APV

device

$14
PERCLOSE PROGLIDE SUTURE MEDIATED CLOSURE SYSTEM

device

$13
† 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/193077

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jun 13, 2018 $7,200 CONCERTO Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
May 15, 2018 $7,200 CONCERTO Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 15, 2018 $7,200 CONCERTO Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jan 3, 2018 $5,800 No Listed Product Consulting ANGIODYNAMICS, INC.
Sep 5, 2018 $4,500 INTERLOCK Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 19, 2018 $4,000 GENERAL THERAPIES Consulting BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 29, 2018 $3,900 No Listed Product Consulting ANGIODYNAMICS, INC.
May 23, 2018 $3,200 MVP Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jun 8, 2018 $3,000 SIR-SPHERES MICROSPHERES Honoraria SIRTEX MEDICAL INC
Mar 28, 2018 $2,500 JETSTREAM Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Dec 12, 2018 $2,500 EMBOZENE Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 8, 2018 $1,600 COOK MEDICAL EMBOLIZATION Nonaccredited Training COOK INCORPORATED
Dec 5, 2018 $452 THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Dec 19, 2018 $400 COOK MEDICAL INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY Consulting COOK INCORPORATED
Aug 10, 2018 $377 ANGIOJET Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 1, 2018 $300 COOK MEDICAL INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY Nonaccredited Training COOK INCORPORATED
Feb 6, 2018 $284 THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 11, 2018 $270 THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 5, 2018 $194 INTERLOCK Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Dec 5, 2018 $157 THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC 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/193077

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.