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/204701
  • 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/204701
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.

GEORGE WEST

Listed Specialty: Neurological Surgery
499 E HAMPDEN AVE, STE 220, ENGLEWOOD, CO, 80113-2792

2018 Payments: At a Glance

69

payments

$20,819

payment total

17

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 2 $14,107
Travel and Lodging
 15 $3,878
Food and Beverage
 52 $2,834

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†
VIPER

device

 $9,138
CONCORDE

device

 $6,759
BRAINLAB

device

 $1,444
O-ARM-ST

device

 $1,356
IFUSE IMPLANT

device

 $1,144
KICK, AIRO, CURVE, BUZZ, NODE, EXACT TRAC, NOVALIS, TRAMACAD, ELEMENTS

device

 $527
VARILIFT

device

 $477
OTHER PRODUCT

device

 $234
CAVUX CERVICAL CAGE

device

 $221
DTRAX SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $221
ALLY BONE SCREW

device

 $221
BIOLOGIX ALLOGRAFT BONE

device

 $221
RELINE

device

 $160
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $153
IGA

device

 $142
NEUROMODULATION DSPSBLS AND ACCS

device

 $131
MOUNTAINEER

device

 $76
PALISADE PEDICLE SCREW SYSTEM

device

 $69
COHERE

device

 $66
MOBI-C

device

 $57
† 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/204701

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 7, 2018 $7,389 VIPER Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Mar 16, 2018 $6,718 CONCORDE Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Jan 19, 2018 $725 VIPER BRAINLAB Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
May 4, 2018 $499 KICK, AIRO, CURVE, BUZZ, NODE, EXACT TRAC, NOVALIS, TRAMACAD, ELEMENTS Travel and Lodging BRAINLAB, INC.
May 18, 2018 $480 IFUSE IMPLANT Travel and Lodging SI-BONE, INC.
Apr 10, 2018 $477 VARILIFT Food and Beverage WENZEL SPINE, INC.
Jun 8, 2018 $363 O-ARM-ST Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jun 7, 2018 $287 O-ARM-ST Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jan 19, 2018 $259 VIPER BRAINLAB Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Jan 19, 2018 $236 VIPER BRAINLAB Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Jun 8, 2018 $235 O-ARM-ST Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jun 8, 2018 $224 O-ARM-ST Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Apr 7, 2018 $221 OTHER PRODUCT Travel and Lodging BRAINLAB, INC.
Jun 2, 2018 $181 IFUSE IMPLANT Travel and Lodging SI-BONE, INC.
May 18, 2018 $142 RELINE IGA Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Dec 19, 2018 $141 O-ARM-ST Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 17, 2018 $131 NEUROMODULATION DSPSBLS AND ACCS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jun 1, 2018 $130 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Feb 6, 2018 $123 VIPER Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
May 1, 2018 $119 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, 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/204701

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.