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/245593
  • 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/245593
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.


ROBERT MENDES

Listed Specialty: Vascular Surgery
4414 LAKE BOONE TRL, SUITE # 108, RALEIGH, NC, 27607-7513

2018 Payments: At a Glance

158

payments

$105,537

payment total

16

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
14 $37,900
Promotional Speaking/Other
8 $27,750
Travel and Lodging
29 $16,518
Nonaccredited Training
2 $11,000
Honoraria
3 $7,400
Food and Beverage
101 $3,250
Education
1 $1,719

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
IVUS SYSTEMS

device

$28,453
JETSTREAM

device

$15,150
COOK MEDICAL IAA

device

$12,361
PV.035

device

$10,800
IN.PACT ADMIRAL

device

$8,173
ANGIOJET

device

$5,795
TURBOHAWK

device

$5,250
GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION

device

$4,671
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

$3,037
EKOSONIC

device

$2,416
INDIGO

device

$2,316
THERAPIES

device

$2,248
FLUENCY

device

$1,719
VISIONS PV .035

device

$1,342
ENDURANT

device

$325
PENUMBRA SYSTEM

device

$299
IGT_D PERIPHERAL

device

$293
GENERAL ATHERECTOMY

device

$243
HAWKONE

device

$161
EXCLUDER AAA ENDOPROSTHESIS

device

$103
† 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/245593

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 14, 2018 $8,000 COOK MEDICAL IAA Nonaccredited Training COOK INCORPORATED
Sep 15, 2018 $7,143 IN.PACT ADMIRAL Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Feb 21, 2018 $6,400 PV.035 Consulting PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Oct 17, 2018 $5,000 ANGIOJET Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Mar 29, 2018 $4,800 IVUS SYSTEMS Consulting PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Feb 15, 2018 $4,400 PV.035 Consulting PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Feb 1, 2018 $4,200 TURBOHAWK Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
May 23, 2018 $4,125 JETSTREAM Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Dec 19, 2018 $4,125 JETSTREAM Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 17, 2018 $3,750 JETSTREAM Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 15, 2018 $3,600 IVUS SYSTEMS Consulting PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Sep 19, 2018 $3,200 IVUS SYSTEMS Honoraria PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Oct 27, 2018 $3,200 IVUS SYSTEMS Honoraria PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Mar 7, 2018 $3,000 GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION Consulting BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 1, 2018 $3,000 JETSTREAM Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 21, 2018 $3,000 COOK MEDICAL IAA Nonaccredited Training COOK INCORPORATED
Oct 23, 2018 $2,500 GENERAL THERAPIES Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 1, 2018 $2,500 IVUS SYSTEMS Consulting PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Dec 13, 2018 $2,400 EKOSONIC Consulting EKOS CORPORATION
Mar 6, 2018 $2,000 IVUS SYSTEMS Consulting PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION

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/245593

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.