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/353700
  • 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/353700
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.

CHRISTOPHER KIM

Listed Specialty: Pain Medicine
400 COURT ST, SUITE 100, CHARLESTON, WV, 25301-1652

2018 Payments: At a Glance

83

payments

$25,683

payment total

12

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
 3 $12,450
Consulting
 3 $6,450
Food and Beverage
 70 $3,705
Travel and Lodging
 6 $2,628
Honoraria
 1 $450

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†
SUPERION ISS

device

 $11,433
MILD DEVICE KIT

device

 $10,253
SPECTRA WAVEWRITER

device

 $1,662
PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS

device

 $791
PROMETRA II

device

 $318
DRG IPGS

device

 $183
EVOKE SCS

device

 $178
PRODIGY FAMILY OF SCS IPGS

device

 $169
SPRINT PNS SYSTEM

device

 $157
ALGOVITA

device

 $142
SCS IPGS

device

 $138
NT1100 NT2000IX SIMPLICITY

device

 $73
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $48
IFUSE IMPLANT

device

 $30
RADIOFREQUENCY THERAPY

device

 $21
OCTRODE SCS LEADS

device

 $20
INVOKANA

drug

 $18
XARELTO

drug

 $18
ARTISAN

device

 $17
PRIALT

drug

 $16
† 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/353700

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Sep 1, 2018 $5,250 SUPERION ISS Promotional Speaking/Other VERTIFLEX, INC.
Apr 10, 2018 $4,000 SUPERION ISS Consulting VERTIFLEX, INC.
Oct 13, 2018 $3,600 MILD DEVICE KIT Promotional Speaking/Other VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
Apr 12, 2018 $3,600 MILD DEVICE KIT Promotional Speaking/Other VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
May 25, 2018 $2,000 SUPERION ISS Consulting VERTIFLEX, INC.
Nov 19, 2018 $1,110 MILD DEVICE KIT Travel and Lodging VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
May 4, 2018 $487 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 19, 2018 $450 MILD DEVICE KIT Consulting VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
Jun 11, 2018 $450 MILD DEVICE KIT Honoraria VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
May 4, 2018 $430 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jan 9, 2018 $318 PROMETRA II Food and Beverage FLOWONIX MEDICAL INCORPORATED
May 5, 2018 $271 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Apr 12, 2018 $241 MILD DEVICE KIT Travel and Lodging VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
Oct 14, 2018 $219 MILD DEVICE KIT Travel and Lodging VERTOS MEDICAL, INC.
Dec 12, 2018 $174 PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jul 11, 2018 $168 PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jun 28, 2018 $158 PRODIGY FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jul 23, 2018 $157 SPRINT PNS SYSTEM Food and Beverage SPR THERAPEUTICS, INC
Apr 20, 2018 $155 PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 5, 2018 $150 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC 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/353700

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.