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/255046
  • 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/255046
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.

JOSE VALERIO

Listed Specialty: Neurological Surgery
7100 W 20TH AVE, SUITE 616, HIALEAH, FL, 33016-1897

2018 Payments: At a Glance

29

payments

$3,190

payment total

15

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 5 $1,723
Food and Beverage
 24 $1,467

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†
VIPER

device

 $1,123
CONCORDE

device

 $1,107
IFUSE IMPLANT

device

 $775
ACIFT SOLOFUSE

device

 $399
MISQUITO

device

 $399
NANOFUSE

device

 $399
CASCADIA INTERBODY SYSTEM

device

 $144
ALGOVITA

device

 $125
CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM

device

 $122
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $111
COFLEX

device

 $90
ONCOLOGY

device

 $77
DERMABOND PORTFOLIO

device

 $50
STRATAFIX

device

 $50
SURGICEL FAMILY OF ABSORBABLE HEMOSTATS

device

 $50
CURVE

device

 $48
CAPRI CORPECTOMY CAGE SYSTEM

device

 $38
ELEMENTS

device

 $36
EVICEL

drug

 $27
OFIRMEV

drug

 $24
† 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/255046

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Apr 20, 2018 $544 CONCORDE VIPER Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 24, 2018 $532 IFUSE IMPLANT Travel and Lodging SI-BONE, INC.
Apr 20, 2018 $309 CONCORDE VIPER Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Aug 27, 2018 $307 MISQUITO ACIFT SOLOFUSE NANOFUSE Food and Beverage SPINEFRONTIER, INC.
Apr 20, 2018 $227 CONCORDE VIPER Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
May 23, 2018 $125 ALGOVITA Food and Beverage NUVECTRA CORPORATION
May 1, 2018 $124 CASCADIA INTERBODY SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Apr 18, 2018 $122 CYPHER MIS SCREW SYSTEM Food and Beverage ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Dec 19, 2018 $112 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Feb 26, 2018 $111 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging AXIOMED LLC Dr. Limon Restaurant
Apr 17, 2018 $92 MISQUITO ACIFT SOLOFUSE NANOFUSE Food and Beverage SPINEFRONTIER, INC.
Mar 20, 2018 $77 ONCOLOGY Food and Beverage NOVOCURE INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $77 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Jul 20, 2018 $53 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Jan 17, 2018 $48 COFLEX Food and Beverage PARADIGM SPINE, LLC
Aug 4, 2018 $48 CURVE Food and Beverage BRAINLAB, INC.
Jun 18, 2018 $38 CAPRI CORPECTOMY CAGE SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Aug 11, 2018 $36 ELEMENTS Food and Beverage BRAINLAB, INC.
Apr 4, 2018 $27 EVICEL SURGICEL FAMILY OF ABSORBABLE HEMOSTATS STRATAFIX DERMABOND PORTFOLIO Food and Beverage ETHICON US, LLC
Feb 28, 2018 $24 OFIRMEV Food and Beverage MALLINCKRODT 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/255046

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.