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/340850
  • 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/340850
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.

DOUGLAS COWAN

Listed Specialty: Otolaryngology
4880 NE GOODVIEW CIRLCLE, LEES SUMMIT, MO, 64064

2018 Payments: At a Glance

98

payments

$16,797

payment total

13

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
 4 $8,000
Consulting
 2 $4,325
Food and Beverage
 90 $3,441
Travel and Lodging
 2 $1,030

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†
NUVENT

device

 $8,147
XPS NEXUS

device

 $3,464
PROPEL

device

 $1,923
VIVAER AIRWAY REMODELING STYLUS

device

 $1,045
FUSION

device

 $886
NAV - NAV3 NAVIGATION PLATFORM

device

 $463
I7

device

 $413
OTOVEL

drug

 $111
THUNDERBEAT

device

 $91
GELFOAM

device

 $41
SURGISEAL

device

 $41
THROMBIN

drug

 $41
ACCLARENT BALLOON INFLATION DEVICE

device

 $37
XHANCE

drug

 $37
SINUVA

drug

 $32
CIPRODEX

drug

 $30
ENTELLUS - XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM

device

 $26
PRECEDEX

drug

 $14
COBLATION - LARYNGEAL WANDS

device

 $14
COBLATION WANDS

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.

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/340850

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jan 31, 2018 $3,464 XPS NEXUS Consulting MEDTRONIC USA, INC. Head And Neck Surgical Associates Of Lee Summit
Jan 22, 2018 $2,000 NUVENT Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC. Head And Neck Surgical Associates Of Lee Summit
Jan 4, 2018 $2,000 NUVENT Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC. Head And Neck Surgical Associates Of Lee Summit
Dec 5, 2018 $2,000 NUVENT Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC. Head And Neck Surgical Associates Of Lee Summit
Dec 18, 2018 $2,000 NUVENT Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC. Head And Neck Surgical Associates Of Lee Summit
Sep 5, 2018 $861 FUSION Consulting MEDTRONIC USA, INC. Head And Neck Surgical Associates Of Lee Summit
Jul 27, 2018 $778 PROPEL Travel and Lodging INTERSECT ENT, INC.
Jul 27, 2018 $252 PROPEL Travel and Lodging INTERSECT ENT, INC.
Sep 17, 2018 $166 PROPEL Food and Beverage INTERSECT ENT, INC.
Aug 9, 2018 $150 PROPEL Food and Beverage INTERSECT ENT, INC.
May 21, 2018 $146 PROPEL Food and Beverage INTERSECT ENT, INC.
Oct 9, 2018 $132 NAV - NAV3 NAVIGATION PLATFORM Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Aug 10, 2018 $129 PROPEL Food and Beverage INTERSECT ENT, INC.
Nov 15, 2018 $113 NAV - NAV3 NAVIGATION PLATFORM Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Aug 9, 2018 $101 PROPEL Food and Beverage INTERSECT ENT, INC.
Oct 8, 2018 $98 VIVAER AIRWAY REMODELING STYLUS Food and Beverage AERIN MEDICAL INC.
Dec 28, 2018 $94 VIVAER AIRWAY REMODELING STYLUS Food and Beverage AERIN MEDICAL INC.
Mar 21, 2018 $91 THUNDERBEAT Food and Beverage OLYMPUS AMERICA INC.
Apr 19, 2018 $90 VIVAER AIRWAY REMODELING STYLUS Food and Beverage AERIN MEDICAL INC.
Dec 18, 2018 $82 NAV - NAV3 NAVIGATION PLATFORM Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION

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/340850

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.