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/345788
  • 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/345788
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.

TZY-SHIUAN KUO

Listed Specialty: Cardiovascular Disease
3303 ROGERS RD, SUITE 200, SAN ANTONIO, TX, 78251-3687

2018 Payments: At a Glance

59

payments

$4,083

payment total

19

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 7 $2,650
Food and Beverage
 52 $1,433

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†
IVUS SYSTEMS

device

 $994
ANGIOJET

device

 $849
GENERAL VASCULAR ACCESS

device

 $748
CARDIOFORM SEPTAL OCCLUDER

device

 $278
IMPELLA

device

 $265
LIFEVEST

device

 $136
CATHETER - TURNPIKE

device

 $132
ENTRESTO

drug

 $120
TURBO-POWER

device

 $90
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

 $76
IGT_D THERAPY

device

 $68
IGT_D PERIPHERAL

device

 $57
REPATHA

drug

 $51
BRILINTA

drug

 $24
KENGREAL

drug

 $24
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $21
FLEXITOUCH

device

 $21
ACTITOUCH

device

 $21
ENTRE

device

 $21
ECM

device

 $20
† 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/345788

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jun 22, 2018 $994 IVUS SYSTEMS Travel and Lodging PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Feb 28, 2018 $583 ANGIOJET Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 7, 2018 $371 GENERAL VASCULAR ACCESS Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 22, 2018 $278 CARDIOFORM SEPTAL OCCLUDER Travel and Lodging W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Oct 7, 2018 $226 GENERAL VASCULAR ACCESS Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 8, 2018 $151 GENERAL VASCULAR ACCESS Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Feb 28, 2018 $146 ANGIOJET Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 13, 2018 $132 CATHETER - TURNPIKE Food and Beverage ARROW INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Aug 21, 2018 $114 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Feb 27, 2018 $90 TURBO-POWER Food and Beverage PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
May 7, 2018 $82 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Mar 1, 2018 $68 ANGIOJET Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 22, 2018 $59 IGT_D THERAPY Food and Beverage PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Mar 1, 2018 $52 ANGIOJET Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 3, 2018 $46 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Jul 25, 2018 $36 GENERAL THERAPIES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 20, 2018 $34 IGT_D PERIPHERAL Food and Beverage PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION
Nov 17, 2018 $23 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Jul 11, 2018 $23 LIFEVEST Food and Beverage ZOLL SERVICES LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LIFECOR CORP)
Oct 30, 2018 $23 ENTRESTO Food and Beverage NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS 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/345788

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.