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/309599
  • 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/309599
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.

FELIX LEE

Listed Specialty: Interventional Cardiology
2581 SAMARITAN DR, STE 202, SAN JOSE, CA, 95124-4112

2018 Payments: At a Glance

81

payments

$20,763

payment total

13

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Nonaccredited Training
 3 $10,000
Food and Beverage
 61 $6,443
Travel and Lodging
 16 $4,221
Education
 1 $99

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

 $17,679
CORONARY ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM

device

 $614
MICRA

device

 $459
PERIPHERAL ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM

device

 $308
IMPELLA

device

 $267
IGT_D CORONARY

device

 $265
LIFEVEST

device

 $239
SELECTSECURE

device

 $162
MITRA CLIP SYSTEM

device

 $151
ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM

device

 $149
CLARIA MRI

device

 $139
RHYTHMIA

device

 $135
SYNERGY

device

 $125
BRILINTA

drug

 $99
ASAHI FIELDER CORONARY GUIDE WIRE

device

 $96
NC TREK CORONARY CATHETERS

device

 $96
XIENCE V CORONARY STENT SYSTEM

device

 $96
HI-TORQUE CORONARY GUIDE WIRE

device

 $96
FLEXTOME

device

 $73
ASAHI PTCA GUIDE WIRE

device

 $52
† 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/309599

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jun 13, 2018 $6,000 No Listed Product Nonaccredited Training BIOTRONIK INC.
May 22, 2018 $2,000 No Listed Product Nonaccredited Training BIOTRONIK INC.
Jan 3, 2018 $2,000 No Listed Product Nonaccredited Training BIOTRONIK INC.
Jun 13, 2018 $1,524 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Jul 3, 2018 $680 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
May 15, 2018 $434 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
May 1, 2018 $327 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
May 2, 2018 $301 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Jun 23, 2018 $300 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Aug 17, 2018 $280 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
May 16, 2018 $248 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
May 12, 2018 $220 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Jul 11, 2018 $196 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Jul 31, 2018 $189 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Jul 31, 2018 $189 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Mar 8, 2018 $172 MICRA Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
May 9, 2018 $162 SELECTSECURE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Sep 20, 2018 $161 PERIPHERAL ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM CORONARY ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM Food and Beverage CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC.
Dec 19, 2018 $158 CORONARY ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM Food and Beverage CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC.
Feb 7, 2018 $158 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK 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/309599

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.