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/312428
  • 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/312428
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.


STEPHEN POSS

Listed Specialty: Dentist, General Practice
1620 WESTGATE CIR, STE 250, BRENTWOOD, TN, 37027-8035

2018 Payments: At a Glance

49

payments

$40,409

payment total

7

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Accredited Training
6 $25,250
Travel and Lodging
17 $9,170
Education
2 $2,232
Promotional Speaking/Other
6 $1,664
Gift
3 $1,274
Food and Beverage
14 $689
Consulting
1 $130

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
SUREFIL SDR FLOW

device

$28,887
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$5,721
AQUASIL

device

$3,039
STATUSBLUE MIXSTAR

device

$1,074
CEREC

device

$1,000
ORTHOPHOS

device

$1,000
HONIGUM PRO LIGHT 50ML

device

$713
HONIGUM PRO PUTTY

device

$713
LUXACORE Z DUAL AUTOMIX A3

device

$713
CERAMX

device

$647
HONIGUM MIXSTAR PUTTY

device

$361
TPH SPECTRA

device

$211
HONIGUM PRO TRIAL KIT - REGULAR

device

$200
HONIGUM PRO TRIAL KIT - FAST

device

$200
PRIME&BOND

device

$172
INTEGRITY

device

$130
PALODENT PLUS

device

$115
CALIBRA

device

$96
DIGIT POWER DISPENSER

device

$57
PERSONAL CARE UNDIV

device

$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.

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jan 19, 2018 $6,250 SUREFIL SDR FLOW Accredited Training DENTSPLY LLC
Oct 11, 2018 $5,500 SUREFIL SDR FLOW Accredited Training DENTSPLY LLC
Oct 22, 2018 $5,000 SUREFIL SDR FLOW Accredited Training DENTSPLY LLC
Jan 19, 2018 $4,000 SUREFIL SDR FLOW Accredited Training DENTSPLY LLC
Nov 13, 2018 $3,500 SUREFIL SDR FLOW Accredited Training DENTSPLY LLC
Feb 19, 2018 $2,024 SUREFIL SDR FLOW Travel and Lodging DENTSPLY LLC
Feb 14, 2018 $1,380 AQUASIL Education DENTSPLY LLC
Oct 22, 2018 $1,112 SUREFIL SDR FLOW Travel and Lodging DENTSPLY LLC
Mar 8, 2018 $1,050 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging CARESTREAM DENTAL, LLC
Feb 8, 2018 $1,000 SUREFIL SDR FLOW Accredited Training DENTSPLY LLC
Oct 4, 2018 $1,000 CEREC ORTHOPHOS Travel and Lodging SIRONA DENTAL SYSTEMS INC.
Apr 27, 2018 $852 AQUASIL Education DENTSPLY LLC
Dec 5, 2018 $713 HONIGUM PRO LIGHT 50ML HONIGUM PRO PUTTY STATUSBLUE MIXSTAR LUXACORE Z DUAL AUTOMIX A3 Gift DMG AMERICA LLC
May 10, 2018 $530 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging CARESTREAM DENTAL, LLC
Nov 13, 2018 $501 SUREFIL SDR FLOW Travel and Lodging DENTSPLY LLC
Apr 13, 2018 $436 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging CARESTREAM DENTAL, LLC
Jun 5, 2018 $429 AQUASIL CERAMX Travel and Lodging DENTSPLY DETREY GMBH
May 10, 2018 $383 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other CARESTREAM DENTAL, LLC
Aug 23, 2018 $372 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging CARESTREAM DENTAL, LLC
Mar 13, 2018 $361 HONIGUM MIXSTAR PUTTY STATUSBLUE MIXSTAR Gift DMG AMERICA LLC

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/312428

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.