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/209488
  • 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/209488
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.


JAMES MCPHERSON

Listed Specialty: Surgery
575 E HARDY ST, INGLEWOOD, CA, 90301-4036

2018 Payments: At a Glance

143

payments

$16,372

payment total

20

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
109 $6,683
Travel and Lodging
31 $4,700
Consulting
1 $3,920
Education
2 $1,070

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
PREVELEAK

device

$4,047
DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM

device

$3,124
EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE

device

$1,571
EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM

device

$1,491
ENDURANT

device

$1,401
VALIANT CAPTIVIA

device

$871
INSPIRIS RESILIA AORTIC VALVE

device

$441
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$394
EVLT

device

$320
PHOTONBLADE

device

$277
PHOTONSABER Y

device

$277
EIKON LT ADAPT

device

$277
PHOTONSABER F

device

$277
EIKON LT

device

$277
CARDIOHELP

device

$270
IMPELLA

device

$213
TAG THORACIC ENDOPROSTHESIS

device

$200
MVP

device

$199
EPI-SENSE GUIDED COAGULATION SYSTEM WITH VISITRAX, MODELS

device

$173
CARPENTIER-EDWARDS PERIMOUNT MAGNA EASE PERICARDIAL AORTIC BIOPROSTHESIS

device

$172
† 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/209488

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Dec 4, 2018 $3,920 PREVELEAK Consulting BAXTER HEALTHCARE
Feb 26, 2018 $750 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Education INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Jan 11, 2018 $410 ENDURANT Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Mar 27, 2018 $391 EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jul 28, 2018 $377 EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jul 27, 2018 $355 EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Dec 12, 2018 $345 INSPIRIS RESILIA AORTIC VALVE Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Mar 26, 2018 $333 EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jan 25, 2018 $320 EVLT Education ANGIODYNAMICS, INC.
Jul 28, 2018 $312 EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Nov 7, 2018 $277 EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Feb 16, 2018 $246 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Feb 15, 2018 $242 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Jan 14, 2018 $239 VALIANT CAPTIVIA Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 28, 2018 $224 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Food and Beverage INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Jan 11, 2018 $218 ENDURANT Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jan 9, 2018 $213 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Food and Beverage INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Apr 4, 2018 $200 TAG THORACIC ENDOPROSTHESIS Food and Beverage W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Apr 4, 2018 $187 ENDURANT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jan 9, 2018 $179 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, 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/209488

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.