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/361571
  • 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/361571
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.

DAVID SCHWARTZ

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
8450 NORTHWEST BLVD., INDIANAPOLIS, IN, 46278-1381

2018 Payments: At a Glance

60

payments

$169,918

payment total

7

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Royalty or License
 4 $150K
Consulting
 3 $13,568
Travel and Lodging
 17 $4,148
Food and Beverage
 35 $1,950
Gift
 1 $60

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†
ARCHON

device

 $150K
COROENT

device

 $150K
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $9,059
TLIF

device

 $7,414
COALESCE

device

 $979
MULTIPLE PRODUCTS

device

 $664
CD HORIZON

device

 $519
PTI

device

 $378
ARSENAL, LLIF, ILLICO

device

 $365
MAZORX - RENAISSANCE

device

 $229
XLIF

device

 $184
VESUVIUS OSTEOBIOLOGIC SYSTEM

device

 $143
PLIF

device

 $115
PULSE

device

 $107
MODULUS

device

 $106
IGA

device

 $104
BRIGHTMATTER GUIDE/MODUS V

device

 $66
MAGEC

device

 $60
FLAREHAWK

device

 $60
CAPSTONE

device

 $52
† 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/361571

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Feb 13, 2018 $38,566 COROENT ARCHON Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
May 9, 2018 $38,024 COROENT ARCHON Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 13, 2018 $37,474 COROENT ARCHON Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
Nov 13, 2018 $36,128 ARCHON COROENT Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 15, 2018 $6,656 No Listed Product Consulting MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Feb 20, 2018 $6,400 TLIF Consulting NUVASIVE, INC.
Jan 27, 2018 $863 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Apr 2, 2018 $650 COALESCE TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 24, 2018 $604 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 31, 2018 $512 CD HORIZON Consulting MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 26, 2018 $407 MULTIPLE PRODUCTS Travel and Lodging ALPHATEC SPINE, INC
Aug 24, 2018 $378 PTI Travel and Lodging ALPHATEC SPINE, INC
Jan 27, 2018 $295 ARSENAL, LLIF, ILLICO Travel and Lodging ALPHATEC SPINE, INC
Jul 24, 2018 $213 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 30, 2018 $143 VESUVIUS OSTEOBIOLOGIC SYSTEM Food and Beverage K2M, INC.
Mar 9, 2018 $127 MAZORX - RENAISSANCE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Apr 12, 2018 $123 COALESCE TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Apr 12, 2018 $123 COALESCE TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Jan 27, 2018 $120 No Listed Product Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 25, 2018 $118 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging 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/361571

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.