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/252264
  • 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/252264
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.

MARK FREHER

Listed Specialty: Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
5503 S CONGRESS AVE, SUITE 206, ATLANTIS, FL, 33462-6625

2018 Payments: At a Glance

128

payments

$8,591

payment total

10

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 124 $7,678
Travel and Lodging
 4 $914

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†
ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM

device

 $1,505
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $1,042
ASSURITY PACEMAKER

device

 $931
ALLURE CRT PACEMAKER

device

 $640
ECM

device

 $483
CRT-DS

device

 $366
QUADRA ALLURE MP RF CRT PACEMKR

device

 $365
RESONATE

device

 $266
ENSITE VELOCITY SYSTEM EXPANSION MODULES

device

 $200
FORTIFY ASSURA, ELLIPSE ICD

device

 $198
ENSITE VELOCITY SYSTEM MAPPING DISPOSABLES

device

 $171
MICRA

device

 $160
ABLATION THERAPY HARDWARE

device

 $160
EP-WORKMATE RECORDING SYSTEM

device

 $149
QUADRA ASSURA CRT DEFIBRILLATOR

device

 $117
ELIQUIS

drug

 $117
WATCHMAN

device

 $115
CONNECTIVITY AND REMOTE CARE

device

 $112
CONFIRM RX

device

 $106
ALLURE QUADRA RF CRT PACEMAKER

device

 $105
† 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/252264

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Oct 24, 2018 $322 ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM Travel and Lodging ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 18, 2018 $301 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging CARDIOFOCUS, INC.
Nov 6, 2018 $283 ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM Travel and Lodging ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 16, 2018 $183 QUADRA ALLURE MP RF CRT PACEMKR Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 14, 2018 $175 ALLURE CRT PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 13, 2018 $175 ASSURITY PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 7, 2018 $175 ALLURE CRT PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 31, 2018 $167 ASSURITY PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Apr 19, 2018 $162 ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Mar 21, 2018 $149 EP-WORKMATE RECORDING SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jan 24, 2018 $148 ENSITE VELOCITY SYSTEM EXPANSION MODULES Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jun 7, 2018 $147 ALLURE CRT PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Mar 27, 2018 $146 FORTIFY ASSURA, ELLIPSE ICD Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Oct 11, 2018 $144 ECM Food and Beverage AZIYO BIOLOGICS, INC.
Jun 4, 2018 $140 QUADRA ALLURE MP RF CRT PACEMKR Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jan 5, 2018 $137 CRT-DS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jan 17, 2018 $137 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Jan 17, 2018 $137 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Feb 5, 2018 $134 ABLATION THERAPY HARDWARE Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 7, 2018 $130 ALLURE CRT PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES

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/252264

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.