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/3586
  • 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/3586
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.

GHASSAN KAZMOUZ

Listed Specialty: Interventional Cardiology
1180 NORTH INDIAN CANYON DRIVE, SUITE W304, PALM SPRINGS, CA, 92262

2018 Payments: At a Glance

98

payments

$4,710

payment total

17

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 95 $3,899
Travel and Lodging
 1 $622
Education
 2 $189

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†
COREVALVE EVOLUT

device

 $1,355
GENERAL TACHY

device

 $468
ELIQUIS

drug

 $372
XARELTO

drug

 $277
ACCOLADE

device

 $240
BRILINTA

drug

 $228
GLIDESHEATH

device

 $215
HEARTRAIL

device

 $215
OPTITORQUE

device

 $215
TR BAND

device

 $215
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

 $196
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $164
REPATHA

drug

 $141
ASSURITY PACEMAKER

device

 $129
WATCHMAN

device

 $112
RESONATE

device

 $87
ENTRESTO

drug

 $85
ENSITE CARDIAC MAPPING SYSTEM

device

 $77
LIFEVEST

device

 $74
CHANTIX

drug

 $73
† 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/3586

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Feb 8, 2018 $622 COREVALVE EVOLUT Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Feb 8, 2018 $198 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Feb 8, 2018 $163 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 15, 2018 $129 ASSURITY PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Nov 28, 2018 $125 OPTITORQUE HEARTRAIL TR BAND GLIDESHEATH Food and Beverage TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Apr 5, 2018 $125 ACCOLADE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 31, 2018 $124 BRILINTA Food and Beverage ASTRAZENECA PHARMACEUTICALS LP
Jun 1, 2018 $123 GENERAL TACHY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 21, 2018 $122 GENERAL TACHY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Dec 20, 2018 $118 GENERAL THERAPIES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 30, 2018 $117 ELIQUIS Food and Beverage PFIZER INC.
May 4, 2018 $112 WATCHMAN Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Feb 7, 2018 $112 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Feb 8, 2018 $112 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Oct 25, 2018 $106 GENERAL TACHY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jun 20, 2018 $104 ELIQUIS Food and Beverage E.R. SQUIBB & SONS, L.L.C.
Oct 26, 2018 $99 No Listed Product Education ASTRAZENECA PHARMACEUTICALS LP
Feb 1, 2018 $97 ACCOLADE Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 28, 2018 $90 OPTITORQUE HEARTRAIL TR BAND GLIDESHEATH Education TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Jun 28, 2018 $87 RESONATE 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/3586

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.