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/202305
  • 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/202305
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.

ISAAC GEORGE

Listed Specialty: Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery)
177 FORT WASHINGTON AVE, MHB 7-435, NEW YORK, NY, 10032-3733

2018 Payments: At a Glance

167

payments

$96,878

payment total

10

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 22 $62,657
Travel and Lodging
 18 $10,851
Nonaccredited Training
 2 $10,000
Food and Beverage
 121 $9,169
Promotional Speaking/Other
 4 $4,200

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

 $33,807
ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM

device

 $30,377
ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM

device

 $12,607
ATRICURE CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM

device

 $10,806
COREVALVE EVOLUT

device

 $8,408
PRODUCT IN DEVELOPMENT

device

 $7,407
ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION

device

 $7,085
INSPIRIS RESILIA AORTIC VALVE

device

 $6,337
RELAY PLUS

device

 $4,639
EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE

device

 $1,416
MOSAIC

device

 $1,388
TRIFECTA GT TISSUE HEART VALVE

device

 $367
ACC2 CARDIAC CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM

device

 $334
AVALUS

device

 $217
EPI-SENSE GUIDED COAGULATION SYSTEM WITH VISITRAX, MODELS

device

 $182
DISSECTOR SYSTEM

device

 $147
MITRA CLIP SYSTEM

device

 $142
EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM

device

 $136
COBRA FUSION ABLATION SYSTEM

device

 $130
BRILINTA

drug

 $125
† 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/202305

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 16, 2018 $11,600 No Listed Product Consulting MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jul 5, 2018 $7,200 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM Consulting ATRICURE, INC.
Feb 19, 2018 $6,015 COREVALVE EVOLUT Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jun 14, 2018 $5,400 No Listed Product Consulting ATRICURE, INC.
Feb 14, 2018 $5,000 No Listed Product Nonaccredited Training MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Cardiovascular Research Foundation
Feb 2, 2018 $5,000 No Listed Product Nonaccredited Training MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Cardiovascular Research Foundation
Nov 16, 2018 $4,807 INSPIRIS RESILIA AORTIC VALVE Consulting EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Oct 5, 2018 $4,725 PRODUCT IN DEVELOPMENT Consulting W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Jun 26, 2018 $4,500 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION Consulting ATRICURE, INC.
Jul 9, 2018 $3,500 No Listed Product Consulting MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Apr 20, 2018 $2,700 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM ATRICURE CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting ATRICURE, INC.
Jul 27, 2018 $1,800 PRODUCT IN DEVELOPMENT Consulting W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Jan 26, 2018 $1,800 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM ATRICURE CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting ATRICURE, INC.
Jul 5, 2018 $1,800 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM Consulting ATRICURE, INC.
Jul 5, 2018 $1,575 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM Consulting ATRICURE, INC.
Oct 3, 2018 $1,500 RELAY PLUS Promotional Speaking/Other BOLTON MEDICAL INC
Jun 20, 2018 $1,500 RELAY PLUS Promotional Speaking/Other BOLTON MEDICAL INC
Jan 26, 2018 $1,350 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM ATRICURE CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting ATRICURE, INC.
Apr 6, 2018 $1,350 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM ATRICURE CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting ATRICURE, INC.
Apr 4, 2018 $1,350 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM ATRICURE CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM Consulting ATRICURE, 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/202305

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.