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/279414
  • 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/279414
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.

ERIK BEYER

Listed Specialty: Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery)
3001 NW 49TH AVE, SUITE 104, LAUDERDALE LAKES, FL, 33313-7266

2018 Payments: At a Glance

104

payments

$13,639

payment total

9

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 91 $5,674
Education
 1 $4,000
Travel and Lodging
 12 $3,965

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†
AORTIC TISSUE VALVE - PERCEVAL

device

 $5,942
MOSAIC

device

 $2,040
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $1,304
ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM

device

 $632
AFFINITY FUSION

device

 $551
ATRICURE CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM

device

 $542
SIMULUS

device

 $467
ECM

device

 $344
DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM

device

 $303
ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM

device

 $298
PERCEVAL S

device

 $272
MITRA CLIP SYSTEM

device

 $257
WATCHMAN

device

 $242
AORTIC AND MITRAL TISSUE STENTED VALVES

device

 $181
AVALUS

device

 $134
BIOPROSTHETIC MITRAL VALVE

device

 $132
STERNALOCK BLU

device

 $84
EPI-SENSE GUIDED COAGULATION SYSTEM WITH VISITRAX, MODELS

device

 $67
CARDIOBLATE

device

 $48
CLARIA MRI

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.

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/279414

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jun 5, 2018 $4,000 AORTIC TISSUE VALVE - PERCEVAL Education LIVANOVA USA, INC.
Nov 17, 2018 $1,092 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging ATRICURE, INC.
Apr 24, 2018 $550 MOSAIC Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 26, 2018 $507 AORTIC TISSUE VALVE - PERCEVAL Travel and Lodging LIVANOVA USA, INC.
Apr 24, 2018 $412 MOSAIC Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Apr 25, 2018 $344 MOSAIC Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Apr 20, 2018 $286 AORTIC TISSUE VALVE - PERCEVAL Travel and Lodging LIVANOVA USA, INC.
Apr 20, 2018 $242 AORTIC TISSUE VALVE - PERCEVAL Travel and Lodging LIVANOVA USA, INC.
Nov 29, 2018 $200 AORTIC TISSUE VALVE - PERCEVAL Travel and Lodging LIVANOVA USA, INC.
Apr 23, 2018 $190 SIMULUS Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Mar 5, 2018 $181 AORTIC AND MITRAL TISSUE STENTED VALVES Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Apr 24, 2018 $176 AORTIC TISSUE VALVE - PERCEVAL Travel and Lodging LIVANOVA USA, INC.
May 16, 2018 $166 ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM Food and Beverage ATRICURE, INC.
Apr 24, 2018 $164 MOSAIC Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Apr 25, 2018 $153 SIMULUS Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jan 26, 2018 $150 MOSAIC Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Aug 15, 2018 $148 No Listed Product Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jan 10, 2018 $145 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage ATRICURE, INC.
Jun 13, 2018 $144 ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM Food and Beverage ATRICURE, INC.
Mar 14, 2018 $142 ATRICURE CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM Food and Beverage ATRICURE, 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/279414

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.