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/345126
  • 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/345126
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 GAULT

Listed Specialty: Cardiovascular Disease
24411 HEALTH CENTER DR, #550, LAGUNA HILLS, CA, 92653

2018 Payments: At a Glance

161

payments

$7,803

payment total

25

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 156 $5,051
Travel and Lodging
 4 $2,747
Education
 1 $5

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†
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $3,850
EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE

device

 $549
XARELTO

drug

 $429
PRALUENT

drug

 $331
AZURE

device

 $250
GENERAL TACHY

device

 $206
IMPELLA

device

 $192
SAMSCA

drug

 $191
REPATHA

drug

 $188
LEXISCAN

drug

 $162
ENTRESTO

drug

 $145
SUREFIX

device

 $129
PRADAXA

drug

 $116
EDARBI

drug

 $113
MULTAQ

drug

 $110
HEARTWARE HVAD

device

 $108
ASAHI FIELDER CORONARY GUIDE WIRE

device

 $107
NC TREK CORONARY CATHETERS

device

 $107
XIENCE V CORONARY STENT SYSTEM

device

 $107
HI-TORQUE CORONARY GUIDE WIRE

device

 $107
† 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/345126

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Sep 14, 2018 $1,370 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Dec 18, 2018 $678 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Dec 18, 2018 $678 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging BIOTRONIK INC.
Dec 5, 2018 $154 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Dec 7, 2018 $149 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Dec 8, 2018 $149 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Oct 15, 2018 $144 EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Apr 28, 2018 $139 AZURE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Dec 6, 2018 $135 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
Oct 25, 2018 $132 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Mar 7, 2018 $129 SUREFIX Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Dec 5, 2018 $126 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOTRONIK INC.
May 23, 2018 $123 PRALUENT Food and Beverage REGENERON HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Jul 24, 2018 $120 EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Dec 11, 2018 $115 XARELTO Food and Beverage JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
Sep 21, 2018 $111 AZURE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Apr 11, 2018 $110 GENERAL TACHY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 12, 2018 $107 EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Sep 22, 2018 $107 ASAHI FIELDER CORONARY GUIDE WIRE HI-TORQUE CORONARY GUIDE WIRE NC TREK CORONARY CATHETERS XIENCE V CORONARY STENT SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Feb 3, 2018 $99 XARELTO Food and Beverage JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS, 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/345126

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.