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/338845
  • 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/338845
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.

ALEXIS WAGUESPACK

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
1849 BARATARIA BLVD, SUITE C, MARRERO, LA, 70072-4203

2018 Payments: At a Glance

71

payments

$15,024

payment total

15

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 1 $10,400
Travel and Lodging
 14 $2,428
Food and Beverage
 56 $2,196

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†
IFUSE IMPLANT

device

 $11,756
MOBI-C

device

 $1,419
VITALITY

device

 $362
MOJAVE PL 3D EXPANDABLE INTERBODY SYSTEM

device

 $295
GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION

device

 $146
FORTEO

drug

 $127
MESA SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $119
TITAN ENDOSKELETON

device

 $110
TITAN NANOLOCK

device

 $110
SPINE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

device

 $109
VIMOVO

drug

 $96
RAVINE LATERAL ACCESS SYSTEM

device

 $82
BONE MARROW ASPIRATE CONCENTRATE SYSTEM

device

 $62
EVEREST SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $53
MYSPINE

device

 $35
MOVANTIK

drug

 $33
TRITANIUM

device

 $33
TYMLOS

drug

 $28
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $28
BONESCALPEL

device

 $25
† 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/338845

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 28, 2018 $10,400 IFUSE IMPLANT Consulting SI-BONE, INC.
Jan 18, 2018 $556 IFUSE IMPLANT Travel and Lodging SI-BONE, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $287 IFUSE IMPLANT Travel and Lodging SI-BONE, INC.
Mar 8, 2018 $287 MOBI-C Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Mar 2, 2018 $235 MOBI-C Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Mar 8, 2018 $231 MOBI-C Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Mar 8, 2018 $217 MOBI-C Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Feb 19, 2018 $181 VITALITY Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Feb 19, 2018 $147 VITALITY Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Apr 19, 2018 $146 GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Apr 29, 2018 $128 MOJAVE PL 3D EXPANDABLE INTERBODY SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Mar 10, 2018 $112 MOBI-C Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Apr 30, 2018 $110 TITAN ENDOSKELETON TITAN NANOLOCK Food and Beverage TITAN SPINE, LLC
May 1, 2018 $109 SPINE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Food and Beverage ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Feb 21, 2018 $107 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
May 18, 2018 $93 FORTEO Food and Beverage LILLY USA, LLC
Apr 19, 2018 $92 MOJAVE PL 3D EXPANDABLE INTERBODY SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Mar 10, 2018 $85 MOBI-C Food and Beverage ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Mar 7, 2018 $82 IFUSE IMPLANT Food and Beverage SI-BONE, INC.
Mar 10, 2018 $74 MOJAVE PL 3D EXPANDABLE INTERBODY SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, 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/338845

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.