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/257694
  • 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/257694
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.

ELIZABETH LORD

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery
4901 FOREST PARK AVE STE 630, GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION, MAIL STOP: 90-75-587, SAINT LOUIS, MO, 63108-1444

2018 Payments: At a Glance

43

payments

$6,604

payment total

4

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 14 $4,534
Food and Beverage
 29 $2,069

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†
SERRATO

device

 $2,216
TRITANIUM

device

 $2,131
XLIF

device

 $1,732
TLIF

device

 $1,333
XIA

device

 $1,182
VLIFT

device

 $1,167
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $1,087
VBOSS

device

 $870
TRIO

device

 $297
VITALITY

device

 $256
LESSRAY

device

 $210
PULSE

device

 $191
BENDINI

device

 $185
OSTEOCEL

device

 $185
NSE - BIPOLAR FORCEPSBIPOLAR GENERATOR

device

 $116
NSE - CUTTING ACCESSORIES

device

 $116
NSE - SONOPET

device

 $116
VIRAGE

device

 $25
† 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
Sep 13, 2018 $835 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging SYNTHES GMBH
Jul 20, 2018 $766 TRITANIUM Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Jul 19, 2018 $766 SERRATO TRITANIUM XIA VLIFT VBOSS Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
May 5, 2018 $565 SERRATO Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Oct 4, 2018 $412 TLIF XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 31, 2018 $338 TLIF XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 19, 2018 $297 SERRATO TRIO VLIFT XIA TRITANIUM Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Oct 4, 2018 $213 XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 20, 2018 $196 No Listed Product Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 26, 2018 $171 BENDINI OSTEOCEL XLIF LESSRAY TLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 22, 2018 $155 XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
May 4, 2018 $150 SERRATO Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
May 6, 2018 $149 SERRATO Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Sep 28, 2018 $148 PULSE Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Nov 30, 2018 $142 VITALITY Food and Beverage ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Jul 20, 2018 $116 NSE - CUTTING ACCESSORIES NSE - SONOPET NSE - BIPOLAR FORCEPSBIPOLAR GENERATOR Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Oct 19, 2018 $114 VITALITY Food and Beverage ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Sep 21, 2018 $110 TLIF XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 22, 2018 $104 TLIF XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 27, 2018 $94 TRITANIUM Food and Beverage STRYKER 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/257694

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.