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/320810
  • 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/320810
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.


SAIBAL KAR

Listed Specialty: Interventional Cardiology
8700 BEVERLY BLVD., LOS ANGELES, CA, 90048-1865

2018 Payments: At a Glance

202

payments

$47,930

payment total

9

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
4 $13,100
Travel and Lodging
41 $12,747
Food and Beverage
152 $9,768
Consulting
4 $9,345
Honoraria
1 $2,970

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
WATCHMAN

device

$19,485
MITRA CLIP SYSTEM

device

$9,081
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$5,010
THERAPIES

device

$4,267
CARDIOFORM SEPTAL OCCLUDER

device

$3,311
PRODUCT IN DEVELOPMENT

device

$2,539
COREVALVE EVOLUT

device

$1,407
AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS

device

$658
3F

device

$392
ASAHI FIELDER CORONARY GUIDE WIRE

device

$262
NC TREK CORONARY CATHETERS

device

$262
XIENCE V CORONARY STENT SYSTEM

device

$262
HI-TORQUE CORONARY GUIDE WIRE

device

$262
GENERAL STRUCTURAL HEART

device

$225
GENERAL STENTS

device

$166
IMPELLA

device

$140
EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE

device

$140
CROSSBOSS

device

$117
EUPHORA

device

$115
CORONARY ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM

device

$105
† 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/320810

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Apr 18, 2018 $6,400 WATCHMAN Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 20, 2018 $5,850 WATCHMAN Consulting BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION CEDARS SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
Oct 3, 2018 $3,000 WATCHMAN Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION CEDARS SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
May 22, 2018 $3,000 MITRA CLIP SYSTEM Promotional Speaking/Other ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Dec 14, 2018 $2,970 CARDIOFORM SEPTAL OCCLUDER Honoraria W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Aug 27, 2018 $2,500 MITRA CLIP SYSTEM Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 24, 2018 $1,609 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging MEDELA LLC
Nov 4, 2018 $934 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jun 7, 2018 $891 THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 6, 2018 $833 THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 23, 2018 $700 WATCHMAN Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION CEDARS SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
Dec 11, 2018 $563 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Travel and Lodging ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 17, 2018 $526 WATCHMAN Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Feb 17, 2018 $510 THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jan 29, 2018 $500 MITRA CLIP SYSTEM Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Dec 21, 2018 $495 PRODUCT IN DEVELOPMENT Consulting W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Jun 8, 2018 $474 THERAPIES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 7, 2018 $443 THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 20, 2018 $419 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jul 26, 2018 $410 MITRA CLIP SYSTEM Travel and Lodging 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/320810

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.