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/353399
  • 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/353399
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.

MARK MEDLEY

Listed Specialty: Surgery
1414 MEDICAL CENTER DR, WILMINGTON, NC, 28401-7505

2018 Payments: At a Glance

152

payments

$130,633

payment total

12

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Nonaccredited Training
 14 $62,000
Promotional Speaking/Other
 17 $36,585
Travel and Lodging
 49 $21,721
Consulting
 4 $7,100
Food and Beverage
 68 $3,227

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†
ALIF

device

 $73,260
DIVERGENCE-L

device

 $25,010
XLIF

device

 $8,560
L5-S1

device

 $7,489
CLYDESDALE

device

 $5,723
MAZORX - RENAISSANCE

device

 $4,096
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $2,426
PERIMETER

device

 $2,000
DIVERGENCE

device

 $1,890
PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM

device

 $196
MARS 3V LATERAL RETRACTOR

device

 $148
PLIF

device

 $105
TLIF

device

 $105
BENDINI

device

 $82
IGA

device

 $82
MARS

device

 $78
EXCELSIUS - GPS

device

 $74
VIPER

device

 $72
DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM

device

 $65
O-ARM-SPINE

device

 $60
† 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/353399

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Nov 29, 2018 $9,000 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Jun 14, 2018 $8,000 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 10, 2018 $7,869 ALIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 31, 2018 $6,750 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Feb 13, 2018 $6,250 XLIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $6,000 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Mar 27, 2018 $5,000 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Mar 6, 2018 $5,000 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Mar 23, 2018 $4,000 L5-S1 Consulting GLOBUS MEDICAL, INC.
May 10, 2018 $3,750 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 8, 2018 $3,510 CLYDESDALE Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jun 20, 2018 $3,375 DIVERGENCE-L Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Apr 5, 2018 $3,240 DIVERGENCE-L Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Dec 20, 2018 $3,000 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
May 22, 2018 $3,000 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Feb 6, 2018 $2,700 DIVERGENCE-L Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jan 24, 2018 $2,000 DIVERGENCE-L Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Mar 19, 2018 $2,000 DIVERGENCE-L Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Sep 20, 2018 $2,000 DIVERGENCE-L Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 11, 2018 $2,000 DIVERGENCE-L Promotional Speaking/Other 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/353399

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.