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/324113
  • 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/324113
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.


JOHN MUNZ

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Trauma
6431 FANNIN ST, HOUSTON, TX, 77030-1501

2018 Payments: At a Glance

82

payments

$56,063

payment total

7

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
8 $25,423
Promotional Speaking/Other
3 $13,584
Travel and Lodging
20 $8,919
Accredited Training
3 $5,510
Food and Beverage
47 $2,604
Education
1 $23

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
PERI-LOC

device

$16,086
PERI-LOC VLP

device

$15,743
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$14,531
EXPAREL

drug

$13,095
JET-X

device

$8,335
META TAN

device

$8,335
TRIGEN FEMORAL (FAN/TAN/META NAIL)

device

$8,335
TRIGEN META-NAIL

device

$7,409
TRIGEN SURESHOT

device

$7,409
AFFIXUS

device

$6,375
ALPS PROX TIB PLATES

device

$6,375
CANNULATED SCREW

device

$6,375
NCB INSTRUMENTS/PLATES/SCREWS

device

$6,375
EVOS

device

$3,337
TFN ADVANCED

device

$698
RIGIDLOOP

device

$624
VERSALOK

device

$624
VA-LCP PLATES & SCREWS

device

$306
TRAUMA PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

device

$290
VARIAX

device

$176
† 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/324113

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jun 8, 2018 $6,641 JET-X META TAN PERI-LOC PERI-LOC VLP TRIGEN FEMORAL (FAN/TAN/META NAIL) Promotional Speaking/Other SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Mar 19, 2018 $6,426 PERI-LOC PERI-LOC VLP TRIGEN META-NAIL TRIGEN SURESHOT Promotional Speaking/Other SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Oct 5, 2018 $4,375 AFFIXUS ALPS PROX TIB PLATES NCB INSTRUMENTS/PLATES/SCREWS CANNULATED SCREW Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Aug 6, 2018 $4,198 EXPAREL Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Nov 27, 2018 $3,480 EXPAREL Consulting PACIRA PHARMACEUTICALS INCORPORATED
Jul 13, 2018 $3,360 No Listed Product Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Jul 27, 2018 $2,940 EXPAREL Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Mar 5, 2018 $2,760 EVOS Consulting SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Sep 13, 2018 $2,500 No Listed Product Accredited Training SYNTHES GMBH
Aug 16, 2018 $2,500 No Listed Product Accredited Training SYNTHES GMBH
Nov 12, 2018 $2,310 EXPAREL Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Oct 5, 2018 $2,000 AFFIXUS ALPS PROX TIB PLATES NCB INSTRUMENTS/PLATES/SCREWS CANNULATED SCREW Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Sep 13, 2018 $1,458 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging SYNTHES GMBH
Aug 16, 2018 $1,169 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging SYNTHES GMBH
Jun 11, 2018 $1,121 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging SYNTHES GMBH
Apr 26, 2018 $1,016 JET-X META TAN PERI-LOC PERI-LOC VLP TRIGEN FEMORAL (FAN/TAN/META NAIL) Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Dec 2, 2018 $941 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging SYNTHES GMBH
Jul 25, 2018 $624 VERSALOK RIGIDLOOP Travel and Lodging MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Feb 22, 2018 $591 PERI-LOC PERI-LOC VLP TRIGEN META-NAIL TRIGEN SURESHOT Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Apr 2, 2018 $518 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other SMITH & NEPHEW, 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/324113

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.