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/252375
  • 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/252375
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.

EDUARDO GARCIA

Listed Specialty: Pain Medicine
17448 HIGHWAY 3, SUITE 136, WEBSTER, TX, 77598-4197

2018 Payments: At a Glance

121

payments

$15,057

payment total

24

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
 2 $6,300
Food and Beverage
 110 $4,040
Travel and Lodging
 8 $3,940
Entertainment
 1 $776

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†
MILD DEVICE KIT

device

 $9,057
SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM

device

 $2,553
PROMETRA II

device

 $776
SPECTRA WAVEWRITER

device

 $370
ALGOVITA

device

 $365
RESTORE

device

 $259
SYNCHROMED

device

 $223
SPRIX

drug

 $185
GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT

device

 $181
PRIALT

drug

 $143
IFUSE IMPLANT

device

 $140
PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS

device

 $123
INTELLIS

device

 $122
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

 $53
ZOHYDRO ER

drug

 $53
XTAMPZA

drug

 $44
EVZIO

drug

 $43
COOLIEF COOLED RADIOFREQUENCY

device

 $39
HORIZANT

drug

 $36
EMBEDA

drug

 $34
† 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/252375

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Dec 1, 2018 $4,950 MILD DEVICE KIT Promotional Speaking/Other VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
Oct 1, 2018 $2,250 MILD DEVICE KIT Travel and Lodging VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
Oct 1, 2018 $1,350 MILD DEVICE KIT Promotional Speaking/Other VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
Sep 6, 2018 $949 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Travel and Lodging NEVRO CORP.
Jul 19, 2018 $776 PROMETRA II Entertainment FLOWONIX MEDICAL INCORPORATED
Sep 6, 2018 $444 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Travel and Lodging NEVRO CORP.
Jun 14, 2018 $157 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 17, 2018 $152 MILD DEVICE KIT Food and Beverage VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
Sep 8, 2018 $150 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
Sep 6, 2018 $146 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
Nov 17, 2018 $146 MILD DEVICE KIT Travel and Lodging VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
Jul 17, 2018 $145 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
Mar 7, 2018 $140 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
Jul 11, 2018 $136 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
Aug 15, 2018 $131 ALGOVITA Food and Beverage NUVECTRA CORPORATION
Jan 11, 2018 $124 GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Mar 8, 2018 $124 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jan 11, 2018 $123 PRIALT Food and Beverage JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
Aug 1, 2018 $115 RESTORE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Sep 10, 2018 $114 MILD DEVICE KIT Food and Beverage VERTOS MEDICAL, 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/252375

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.