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/299211
  • 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/299211
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.


PAUL SCHURMANN

Listed Specialty: Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
2001 HAMILTON ST, APT 526, PHILADELPHIA, PA, 19130-4201

2018 Payments: At a Glance

202

payments

$6,815

payment total

12

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
198 $6,013
Travel and Lodging
4 $802

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
TACTICATH QUARTZ CFA CATHETER

device

$987
ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM

device

$657
CARTO 3 SYSTEM

device

$393
CRT-DS

device

$384
ASSURITY PACEMAKER

device

$367
EVERA

device

$353
AGILIS NXT EP INTRODUCER

device

$351
QUADRA ASSURA CRT DEFIBRILLATOR

device

$251
PERCEPTA

device

$244
MERLIN CONNECTIVITY AND REMOTE

device

$238
FORTIFY ASSURA, ELLIPSE ICD

device

$201
ICDS

device

$181
CONNECTIVITY AND REMOTE CARE

device

$178
DURATA DEFIBRILLATION ICD LEAD

device

$166
REMEDE SYSTEM

device

$166
RESONATE

device

$157
ACCENT PACEMAKER

device

$153
MICRA

device

$140
PRALUENT

drug

$134
WATCHMAN

device

$132
† 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/299211

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
May 4, 2018 $685 TACTICATH QUARTZ CFA CATHETER Travel and Lodging ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Feb 7, 2018 $284 CRT-DS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 11, 2018 $183 AGILIS NXT EP INTRODUCER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Feb 6, 2018 $181 ICDS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Oct 4, 2018 $170 ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 11, 2018 $168 AGILIS NXT EP INTRODUCER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jul 27, 2018 $166 DURATA DEFIBRILLATION ICD LEAD Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 21, 2018 $166 ASSURITY PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Dec 5, 2018 $166 REMEDE SYSTEM Food and Beverage RESPICARDIA, INC.
Apr 5, 2018 $164 QUADRA ASSURA CRT DEFIBRILLATOR Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Mar 27, 2018 $163 ASSURITY PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 27, 2018 $163 ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jan 10, 2018 $154 CONNECTIVITY AND REMOTE CARE Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Feb 26, 2018 $150 EVERA Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Mar 15, 2018 $134 PRALUENT Food and Beverage REGENERON HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Jan 11, 2018 $124 RESONATE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 19, 2018 $119 CARTO 3 SYSTEM Food and Beverage BIOSENSE WEBSTER, INC.
Aug 29, 2018 $118 CARTO 3 SYSTEM Food and Beverage BIOSENSE WEBSTER, INC.
Dec 14, 2018 $115 WATCHMAN Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 7, 2018 $103 ACCENT PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES

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/299211

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.