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/193668
  • 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/193668
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.

RICHARD CHANG

Listed Specialty: Cardiovascular Disease
1450 TREAT BLVD, SUITE 220B, WALNUT CREEK, CA, 94597-2168

2018 Payments: At a Glance

234

payments

$13,776

payment total

35

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 222 $8,610
Consulting
 5 $3,500
Travel and Lodging
 5 $1,652
Education
 2 $14

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

 $5,114
CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM

device

 $2,566
EDORA

device

 $2,400
INDIGO

device

 $775
REPATHA

drug

 $285
IMPELLA

device

 $270
BRILINTA

drug

 $252
ENTRESTO

drug

 $244
OPTOWIRE

device

 $231
OPTOMONITOR

device

 $231
XARELTO

drug

 $228
PRALUENT

drug

 $189
CORLANOR

drug

 $160
HEARTMATE 3 LEFT VENTRICULAR DEV

device

 $149
FASENRA

drug

 $113
BYSTOLIC

drug

 $111
PRADAXA

drug

 $99
ELIQUIS

drug

 $84
LIFEVEST

device

 $82
VASCULAR CLOSURE DEVICE

device

 $77
† 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/193668

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Dec 18, 2018 $1,600 EDORA Consulting BIOTRONIK INC.
Jul 31, 2018 $800 No Listed Product Consulting BIOTRONIK INC.
Oct 5, 2018 $594 INDIGO Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Mar 21, 2018 $538 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging CORINDUS INC.
Apr 10, 2018 $400 EDORA Consulting BIOTRONIK INC.
Oct 2, 2018 $400 EDORA Consulting BIOTRONIK INC.
May 8, 2018 $300 No Listed Product Consulting BIOTRONIK INC. Benecit Research
Mar 21, 2018 $233 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging CORINDUS INC.
Oct 5, 2018 $181 INDIGO Travel and Lodging PENUMBRA, INC.
Jan 8, 2018 $170 CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Dec 5, 2018 $164 CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Apr 26, 2018 $157 No Listed Product Food and Beverage CORINDUS INC.
Oct 5, 2018 $157 CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Feb 12, 2018 $155 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Sep 6, 2018 $150 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Aug 31, 2018 $149 HEARTMATE 3 LEFT VENTRICULAR DEV Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 13, 2018 $141 CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Mar 21, 2018 $140 No Listed Product Food and Beverage CORINDUS INC.
May 30, 2018 $140 CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Mar 5, 2018 $131 CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES

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/193668

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.