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/2791935
  • 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/2791935
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.

ANDY ORTA

Listed Specialty: Podiatrist, Foot & Ankle Surgery
3700 KOLBE RD, LORAIN, OH, 44053-1611

2018 Payments: At a Glance

49

payments

$8,363

payment total

11

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Education
 1 $3,688
Travel and Lodging
 10 $3,110
Food and Beverage
 38 $1,565

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

 $3,794
ILIZAROV SYSTEM

device

 $1,155
BILAYER WOUND MATRIX BWM

device

 $1,070
FLOWABLE

device

 $1,070
INTEGRA WOUND MATRIX IWM

device

 $1,070
TRUELOK

drug

 $657
CADENCE ANKLE REPLACEMENT SYSTEM

device

 $517
SALTO TALARIS TOTAL ANKLE PROSTHESIS

device

 $517
MINIRAIL SYSTEM

device

 $510
TL-HEX

device

 $510
AMNIOEXCEL

device

 $313
CONTOURS VPS-3

device

 $278
GALAXY UNYCO

device

 $278
PENNIG MINIFIXATOR

device

 $278
AHN

device

 $232
SHEFFIELD RING FIXATOR

device

 $232
XCALIBER HYBRID FIXATOR

device

 $232
IDRT

device

 $223
TCC-EZ

device

 $157
PERCLOSE PROGLIDE SUTURE MEDIATED CLOSURE SYSTEM

device

 $136
† 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/2791935

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jul 19, 2018 $3,688 No Listed Product Education ROCK MEDICAL ORTHOPEDICS, INC.
Aug 23, 2018 $838 BILAYER WOUND MATRIX BWM FLOWABLE INTEGRA WOUND MATRIX IWM Travel and Lodging INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Aug 11, 2018 $585 ILIZAROV SYSTEM Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Apr 2, 2018 $450 TRUELOK Travel and Lodging ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Aug 9, 2018 $444 ILIZAROV SYSTEM Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Jun 19, 2018 $278 CONTOURS VPS-3 PENNIG MINIFIXATOR MINIRAIL SYSTEM GALAXY UNYCO TL-HEX Travel and Lodging ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Jun 1, 2018 $232 TL-HEX XCALIBER HYBRID FIXATOR SHEFFIELD RING FIXATOR MINIRAIL SYSTEM AHN Travel and Lodging ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Sep 14, 2018 $218 CADENCE ANKLE REPLACEMENT SYSTEM SALTO TALARIS TOTAL ANKLE PROSTHESIS Travel and Lodging INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Sep 14, 2018 $188 CADENCE ANKLE REPLACEMENT SYSTEM SALTO TALARIS TOTAL ANKLE PROSTHESIS Food and Beverage INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
May 5, 2018 $136 PERCLOSE PROGLIDE SUTURE MEDIATED CLOSURE SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 10, 2018 $129 FOOTPRINT ULTRA PK. SL, 4.5 AND 5.5MM KNOTLESS ANCHOR RAPTORMITE 3.0 OR 3.7MM SUTURE ANCHOR TWINFIX 2.8 OR 3.5MM SUTURE ANCHOR VLP-FOOT Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Aug 9, 2018 $124 BILAYER WOUND MATRIX BWM INTEGRA WOUND MATRIX IWM AMNIOEXCEL IDRT FLOWABLE Food and Beverage INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Oct 18, 2018 $122 KRYSTEXXA Food and Beverage HORIZON PHARMA PLC
May 4, 2018 $110 TRUELOK Food and Beverage ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Feb 21, 2018 $99 BILAYER WOUND MATRIX BWM INTEGRA WOUND MATRIX IWM AMNIOEXCEL IDRT FLOWABLE Food and Beverage INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Aug 10, 2018 $71 ILIZAROV SYSTEM Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Nov 29, 2018 $70 OMNIGRAFT PRIMATRIX MEDIHONEY TCC-EZ AMNIOEXCEL Food and Beverage INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
May 18, 2018 $62 No Listed Product Food and Beverage ROCK MEDICAL ORTHOPEDICS, INC.
Sep 15, 2018 $42 BIODFACTOR TCC-EZ BIODRESTORE Food and Beverage DERMA SCIENCES, INC.
May 9, 2018 $38 TRUELOK Food and Beverage ORTHOFIX 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/2791935

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.