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/199184
  • 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/199184
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.

JOSEPH RICOTTA

Listed Specialty: Vascular Surgery
1357 HEMBREE RD, SUITE 240, ROSWELL, GA, 30076-5722

2018 Payments: At a Glance

87

payments

$20,573

payment total

14

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
 6 $11,000
Food and Beverage
 73 $3,999
Education
 4 $3,672
Travel and Lodging
 4 $1,901

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†
CLOSUREFAST

device

 $8,003
HAWKONE

device

 $4,891
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $3,695
OVATION

device

 $1,626
PERIPHERAL ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM

device

 $578
AFX

device

 $473
ENDURANT

device

 $275
VENASEAL

device

 $219
EKOSONIC

device

 $197
SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM

device

 $194
LUTONIX

device

 $183
VIABAHN VBX BALLOON EXPANDABLE ENDOPROSTHESIS

device

 $183
STELLAREX

device

 $164
LIFESTENT

device

 $138
ULTRAVERSE

device

 $102
FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER

device

 $76
HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM

device

 $76
HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES

device

 $76
OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM

device

 $76
GRAFIX & STRAVIX

drug

 $48
† 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/199184

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Oct 24, 2018 $3,000 HAWKONE Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Vascularone Llc
Mar 14, 2018 $2,800 CLOSUREFAST Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Vascularone Llc
Mar 9, 2018 $1,600 CLOSUREFAST Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Vascularone Llc
Oct 3, 2018 $1,600 CLOSUREFAST Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Vascularone Llc
Apr 11, 2018 $1,600 CLOSUREFAST Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Vascularone Llc
Sep 25, 2018 $1,250 No Listed Product Education ACELL, INC.
Sep 25, 2018 $850 No Listed Product Education ACELL, INC.
Sep 25, 2018 $850 No Listed Product Education ACELL, INC.
Oct 12, 2018 $802 HAWKONE Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Sep 25, 2018 $722 No Listed Product Education ACELL, INC.
Oct 12, 2018 $584 HAWKONE Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Sep 13, 2018 $410 OVATION Food and Beverage ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Sep 11, 2018 $401 OVATION Food and Beverage ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Oct 5, 2018 $400 CLOSUREFAST Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Vascularone Llc
May 29, 2018 $379 PERIPHERAL ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM Travel and Lodging CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC.
Apr 11, 2018 $341 OVATION Food and Beverage ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Jul 16, 2018 $341 AFX OVATION Food and Beverage ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Oct 12, 2018 $201 HAWKONE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jan 2, 2018 $151 VENASEAL Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Oct 12, 2018 $136 HAWKONE Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, 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/199184

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.