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/197903
  • 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/197903
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.

SUNIL BHOYRUL

Listed Specialty: Surgery
9850 GENESEE AVE, 570, LA JOLLA, CA, 92037-1224

2018 Payments: At a Glance

43

payments

$3,711

payment total

7

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 7 $2,240
Food and Beverage
 36 $1,471

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†
ECHELON ENDOPATH STAPLER

device

 $1,308
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $1,167
ECHELON FLEX STAPLER

device

 $330
LIGASURE

device

 $286
HARMONIC PRODUCT FAMILY

device

 $194
ENDO GIA

device

 $138
IDRIVE

device

 $137
ACCESS SOLUTIONS: WECK BRAND

device

 $85
DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM

device

 $84
VERISET

device

 $80
STRATAFIX

device

 $47
ENDO CLIP III

device

 $20
CONTRAVE

drug

 $17
ENDO RETRACT

device

 $11
ENDO CLOSE

device

 $9
BATTERY-POWERED DEVICES

device

 $7
ARTHROSEW

device

 $7
ANCHORSEW

device

 $6
SURGICEL FAMILY OF ABSORBABLE HEMOSTATS

device

 $5
CLEARIFY

device

 $1
† 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.

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Oct 12, 2018 $477 ECHELON ENDOPATH STAPLER Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 12, 2018 $474 ECHELON ENDOPATH STAPLER Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
May 30, 2018 $377 No Listed Product Food and Beverage DAVOL INC.
May 30, 2018 $366 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging DAVOL INC.
Feb 28, 2018 $305 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging DAVOL INC.
Jun 15, 2018 $286 LIGASURE Travel and Lodging COVIDIEN LP
Oct 12, 2018 $231 ECHELON ENDOPATH STAPLER Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 8, 2018 $138 ENDO GIA Food and Beverage COVIDIEN LP
Apr 11, 2018 $137 IDRIVE Food and Beverage COVIDIEN LP
Nov 16, 2018 $103 ECHELON FLEX STAPLER Food and Beverage ETHICON US, LLC
Apr 30, 2018 $101 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging DAVOL INC.
Oct 26, 2018 $85 ACCESS SOLUTIONS: WECK BRAND Food and Beverage TELEFLEX MEDICAL INCORPORATED
May 31, 2018 $84 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Food and Beverage INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
May 10, 2018 $80 VERISET Food and Beverage COVIDIEN LP
Oct 12, 2018 $79 ECHELON FLEX STAPLER HARMONIC PRODUCT FAMILY Food and Beverage ETHICON US, LLC
Oct 11, 2018 $58 HARMONIC PRODUCT FAMILY ECHELON FLEX STAPLER Food and Beverage ETHICON US, LLC
Feb 9, 2018 $38 HARMONIC PRODUCT FAMILY ECHELON ENDOPATH STAPLER STRATAFIX Food and Beverage ETHICON US, LLC
Oct 12, 2018 $30 ECHELON ENDOPATH STAPLER Food and Beverage MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 12, 2018 $30 ECHELON ENDOPATH STAPLER Food and Beverage MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Dec 19, 2018 $26 ECHELON FLEX STAPLER Food and Beverage ETHICON US, 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/197903

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.