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/334138
  • 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/334138
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.


MICHAEL HOVEY

Listed Specialty: Surgery
6828 N 72ND ST, STE 5500, OMAHA, NE, 68122

2018 Payments: At a Glance

28

payments

$9,262

payment total

9

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
18 $4,784
Education
1 $4,000
Food and Beverage
9 $478

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
DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM

device

$8,784
AIRSEAL

device

$174
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

$124
MEGA POWER

device

$98
MEGA SOFT

device

$98
MEGA VAC

device

$98
ULTRA VAC

device

$98
AXIUM INS DRG IPG

device

$28
XARELTO

drug

$20
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$12
PHASIX

device

$11
COOK MEDICAL GENERAL SURGERY

device

$11
† 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
May 14, 2018 $4,000 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Education INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Apr 4, 2018 $936 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
May 3, 2018 $654 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Sep 26, 2018 $647 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Jun 5, 2018 $496 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Sep 19, 2018 $458 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Sep 19, 2018 $432 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
May 16, 2018 $369 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Sep 24, 2018 $300 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Apr 20, 2018 $207 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Sep 27, 2018 $124 GENERAL THERAPIES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 24, 2018 $101 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Oct 17, 2018 $98 MEGA POWER MEGA SOFT MEGA VAC ULTRA VAC Food and Beverage MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC.
Sep 26, 2018 $91 AIRSEAL Food and Beverage CONMED CORPORATION
Mar 26, 2018 $83 AIRSEAL Food and Beverage CONMED CORPORATION
Oct 10, 2018 $28 AXIUM INS DRG IPG Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 19, 2018 $27 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Sep 19, 2018 $27 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Apr 4, 2018 $23 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
Jun 5, 2018 $23 DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging INTUITIVE SURGICAL, 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/334138

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.