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/273978
  • 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/273978
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.


SEBASTIAN KSIONSKI

Listed Specialty: Interventional Pain Medicine
701 PARK AVE, PURPLE 7, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 55415-1623

2018 Payments: At a Glance

38

payments

$4,632

payment total

8

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
7 $2,065
Food and Beverage
29 $1,411
Consulting
2 $1,157

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
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$1,440
SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM

device

$1,275
BIODFACTOR

device

$1,263
BIODOPTIX

device

$1,263
BIODRESTORE

device

$1,263
BILAYER WOUND MATRIX BWM

device

$202
FLOWABLE

device

$202
ALGOVITA

device

$188
IDRT

device

$183
INTEGRA WOUND MATRIX IWM

device

$183
PRIMATRIX

device

$183
BIOFIX

device

$138
MEDIHONEY

device

$138
PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS

device

$137
IMPRIMIS

drug

$107
SYMFONY IOL

device

$107
HEALON OVD

device

$107
ZEPTO HANDPIECE

device

$107
PHACO TUBING AND ACCESSORIES

device

$107
RESTORE

device

$19
† 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/273978

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Dec 3, 2018 $1,086 BIODFACTOR BIODRESTORE BIODOPTIX Travel and Lodging DERMA SCIENCES, INC.
Feb 23, 2018 $927 No Listed Product Consulting STIMWAVE TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
Jun 22, 2018 $348 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Travel and Lodging NEVRO CORP.
Mar 2, 2018 $230 No Listed Product Consulting STIMWAVE TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
Jun 22, 2018 $193 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Travel and Lodging NEVRO CORP.
Dec 13, 2018 $183 BILAYER WOUND MATRIX BWM INTEGRA WOUND MATRIX IWM PRIMATRIX IDRT FLOWABLE Travel and Lodging INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Mar 13, 2018 $138 BIOFIX BIODRESTORE MEDIHONEY BIODOPTIX BIODFACTOR Food and Beverage INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Mar 2, 2018 $131 No Listed Product Food and Beverage STIMWAVE TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
Sep 11, 2018 $131 No Listed Product Food and Beverage STIMWAVE TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
Feb 7, 2018 $112 ALGOVITA Food and Beverage NUVECTRA CORPORATION
Sep 14, 2018 $111 PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jun 22, 2018 $108 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Travel and Lodging NEVRO CORP.
Jun 22, 2018 $108 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Travel and Lodging NEVRO CORP.
Dec 11, 2018 $107 SYMFONY IOL HEALON OVD IMPRIMIS ZEPTO HANDPIECE PHACO TUBING AND ACCESSORIES Food and Beverage THE CAMERON-EHLEN GROUP, INC.
Jun 22, 2018 $100 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
May 16, 2018 $96 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
Jun 29, 2018 $70 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
Aug 10, 2018 $63 ALGOVITA Food and Beverage NUVECTRA CORPORATION
Jun 23, 2018 $50 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
Jun 23, 2018 $44 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.

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/273978

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.