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/292316
  • 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/292316
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.

NEIL SHAH

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
4441 BRYANT IRVIN RD N, FORT WORTH, TX, 76107-7338

2018 Payments: At a Glance

35

payments

$1,495

payment total

15

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 34 $1,045
Nonaccredited Training
 1 $450

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†
XLIF

device

 $849
MODULUS

device

 $200
COHERE

device

 $82
IFUSE IMPLANT

device

 $60
COREVALVE EVOLUT

device

 $47
XTAMPZA

drug

 $35
MECTALIF

device

 $34
VIRAGE

device

 $29
OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION

device

 $29
PCM

device

 $25
CD HORIZON

device

 $20
CAMBIA

drug

 $20
GRALISE

drug

 $20
PALISADE PEDICLE SCREW SYSTEM

device

 $19
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $19
BIO4

device

 $18
LEVORPHANOL

drug

 $16
EVEKEO

drug

 $15
TRITANIUM

device

 $15
SYMPROIC

drug

 $13
† 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/292316

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 13, 2018 $450 XLIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC. Neil Shah
Aug 28, 2018 $108 XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 4, 2018 $100 XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Feb 26, 2018 $82 MODULUS COHERE Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Apr 9, 2018 $77 XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
May 14, 2018 $75 MODULUS Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Jan 17, 2018 $47 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Dec 20, 2018 $37 XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Jan 17, 2018 $31 XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Feb 14, 2018 $29 VIRAGE Food and Beverage ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Feb 15, 2018 $29 OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Nov 1, 2018 $27 XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Mar 9, 2018 $25 PCM Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 12, 2018 $23 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Feb 23, 2018 $23 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Jun 27, 2018 $22 MODULUS Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Feb 4, 2018 $21 MODULUS Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Nov 27, 2018 $20 XTAMPZA Food and Beverage COLLEGIUM PHARMACEUTICAL, INC.
May 16, 2018 $20 CD HORIZON Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Dec 3, 2018 $20 CAMBIA GRALISE Food and Beverage DEPOMED, 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/292316

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.