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/335939
  • 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/335939
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.

BENJAMIN MUELLER

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
8290 UNIVERSITY AVE NE, SUITE 200, FRIDLEY, MN, 55432-1847

2018 Payments: At a Glance

39

payments

$38,672

payment total

3

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
 6 $23,838
Travel and Lodging
 10 $13,587
Food and Beverage
 23 $1,247

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†
ELSA

device

 $13,258
MARS 3VL

device

 $10,627
MARS 3VL RETRACTOR

device

 $10,159
PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $1,221
ELSA ATP

device

 $1,125
FIREBIRD DEFORMITY CORRECTION SYSTEM

device

 $1,000
FORZA PEEK SPACER SYSTEM

device

 $1,000
PILLAR AL PEEK SPACER SYSTEM

device

 $1,000
SPINAL FIXATION SYSTEM (SFS)

device

 $1,000
TDX POSTERIOR DYNAMIC STABILIZATION

device

 $1,000
FIREBIRD

drug

 $393
SPINE

device

 $254
INFINITY OCT SYSTEM

device

 $154
ALL THOROCOLUMBAR PRODUCTS

drug

 $145
CREO MCS

device

 $135
FORTIFY

device

 $97
ALTERA

device

 $48
RISE

device

 $23
PRESTIGE

device

 $18
MAZORX - RENAISSANCE

device

 $14
† 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 4, 2018 $10,057 MARS 3VL RETRACTOR Travel and Lodging GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Jan 27, 2018 $6,300 ELSA Promotional Speaking/Other GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
May 4, 2018 $5,963 MARS 3VL Promotional Speaking/Other GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Jan 27, 2018 $4,950 ELSA Promotional Speaking/Other GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
May 4, 2018 $4,500 MARS 3VL Promotional Speaking/Other GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Jan 27, 2018 $1,698 ELSA Travel and Lodging GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Mar 19, 2018 $1,125 ELSA ATP Promotional Speaking/Other GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Nov 5, 2018 $1,000 TDX POSTERIOR DYNAMIC STABILIZATION SPINAL FIXATION SYSTEM (SFS) FIREBIRD DEFORMITY CORRECTION SYSTEM FORZA PEEK SPACER SYSTEM PILLAR AL PEEK SPACER SYSTEM Promotional Speaking/Other ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $497 PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jan 4, 2018 $393 FIREBIRD Travel and Lodging ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $272 PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jan 26, 2018 $238 SPINE Food and Beverage GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $217 PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jan 26, 2018 $175 ELSA Travel and Lodging GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
May 2, 2018 $164 MARS 3VL Travel and Lodging GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Jun 12, 2018 $135 CREO MCS Food and Beverage GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
May 4, 2018 $102 MARS 3VL RETRACTOR Food and Beverage GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $97 PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jan 31, 2018 $97 FORTIFY Food and Beverage GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
May 23, 2018 $93 PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, 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/335939

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.