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/230649
  • 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/230649
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 BUELL

Listed Specialty: Transplant Surgery
1415 TULANE AVE, HC-20, NEW ORLEANS, LA, 70112-2600

2018 Payments: At a Glance

115

payments

$62,798

payment total

7

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 8 $38,813
Travel and Lodging
 29 $9,602
Honoraria
 2 $6,000
Promotional Speaking/Other
 3 $5,625
Food and Beverage
 73 $2,758

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

 $38,458
HARMONIC PRODUCT FAMILY

device

 $9,328
ECHELON FLEX STAPLER

device

 $9,187
XENMATRIX

device

 $9,042
EVICEL

drug

 $7,801
PHASIX

device

 $2,511
CERTUS 140 MICROWAVE ABLATION SYSTEM

device

 $2,324
MEGA POWER

device

 $375
MEGA VAC

device

 $375
LIGASURE

device

 $154
SURGICEL FAMILY OF ABSORBABLE HEMOSTATS

device

 $126
EMPRINT

device

 $123
VENTRALIGHT

device

 $71
IDRIVE

device

 $19
ANGIOJET

device

 $15
ENSEAL PRODUCT FAMILY

device

 $15
OPDIVO

drug

 $12
LIGASURE IMPACT

device

 $4
† 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
Jul 19, 2018 $9,752 No Listed Product Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Mar 28, 2018 $7,688 No Listed Product Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 8, 2018 $6,749 ECHELON FLEX STAPLER HARMONIC PRODUCT FAMILY EVICEL Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 18, 2018 $6,749 No Listed Product Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 18, 2018 $5,251 No Listed Product Consulting ETHICON INC.
Nov 30, 2018 $4,625 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other COVIDIEN LP
Mar 5, 2018 $3,000 XENMATRIX Honoraria DAVOL INC.
May 16, 2018 $3,000 XENMATRIX Honoraria DAVOL INC.
May 16, 2018 $1,758 XENMATRIX Travel and Lodging DAVOL INC.
Mar 5, 2018 $1,237 XENMATRIX Travel and Lodging DAVOL INC.
Sep 21, 2018 $1,125 No Listed Product Consulting ETHICON INC.
Feb 11, 2018 $881 HARMONIC PRODUCT FAMILY ECHELON FLEX STAPLER Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
May 20, 2018 $759 CERTUS 140 MICROWAVE ABLATION SYSTEM Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 18, 2018 $750 No Listed Product Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 8, 2018 $750 ECHELON FLEX STAPLER HARMONIC PRODUCT FAMILY EVICEL Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Feb 27, 2018 $651 PHASIX Travel and Lodging DAVOL INC.
Nov 30, 2018 $625 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other COVIDIEN LP
May 30, 2018 $610 PHASIX Travel and Lodging DAVOL INC.
Aug 13, 2018 $483 CERTUS 140 MICROWAVE ABLATION SYSTEM Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Jan 26, 2018 $375 MEGA POWER MEGA VAC Promotional Speaking/Other 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/230649

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.