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/36333
  • 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/36333
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.

PAUL LAFATA

Listed Specialty: Podiatrist, Foot & Ankle Surgery
25 STEVENS AVE, WEST LAWN, PA, 19609-1424

2018 Payments: At a Glance

27

payments

$3,454

payment total

7

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 7 $2,279
Food and Beverage
 20 $1,175

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†
TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME

device

 $1,058
ILIZAROV SYSTEM

device

 $688
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $566
VLP-FOOT

device

 $465
HAT-TRICK

device

 $336
PERI-LOC ANKLE FUSION

device

 $336
PERI-LOC VLP

device

 $336
VLP MINI-MOD

device

 $336
CMF OL1000

device

 $180
FOOTPRINT ULTRA PK. SL, 4.5 AND 5.5MM KNOTLESS ANCHOR

device

 $129
RAPTORMITE 3.0 OR 3.7MM SUTURE ANCHOR

device

 $129
TWINFIX 2.8 OR 3.5MM SUTURE ANCHOR

device

 $129
ANCHORAGE

device

 $129
ASNIS

device

 $129
EUCRISA

drug

 $125
APLIGRAF

drug

 $118
DERMAGRAFT

device

 $72
PURAPLY/AFFINITY/NUTECH

device

 $72
NEOX

drug

 $66
CLARIX

drug

 $66
† 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/36333

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Sep 27, 2018 $566 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Aug 11, 2018 $518 TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Aug 9, 2018 $479 ILIZAROV SYSTEM Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Aug 11, 2018 $208 ILIZAROV SYSTEM Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Sep 28, 2018 $201 HAT-TRICK PERI-LOC ANKLE FUSION VLP MINI-MOD VLP-FOOT PERI-LOC VLP Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Sep 28, 2018 $201 TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Aug 10, 2018 $129 FOOTPRINT ULTRA PK. SL, 4.5 AND 5.5MM KNOTLESS ANCHOR RAPTORMITE 3.0 OR 3.7MM SUTURE ANCHOR TWINFIX 2.8 OR 3.5MM SUTURE ANCHOR VLP-FOOT Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Jun 14, 2018 $129 ASNIS ANCHORAGE Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Jul 26, 2018 $125 EUCRISA Food and Beverage PFIZER INC.
Jan 23, 2018 $119 CMF OL1000 Food and Beverage DJO, LLC
Aug 10, 2018 $107 TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Sep 28, 2018 $106 HAT-TRICK PERI-LOC ANKLE FUSION VLP MINI-MOD VLP-FOOT PERI-LOC VLP Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Sep 28, 2018 $95 TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Nov 2, 2018 $72 APLIGRAF DERMAGRAFT PURAPLY/AFFINITY/NUTECH Food and Beverage ORGANOGENESIS INC. L&M Healthcare Communications
Apr 26, 2018 $66 NEOX CLARIX Food and Beverage AMNIOX MEDICAL, INC.
Sep 26, 2018 $61 CMF OL1000 Food and Beverage DJO, LLC
May 22, 2018 $60 BILAYER WOUND MATRIX BWM INTEGRA WOUND MATRIX IWM AMNIOEXCEL IDRT FLOWABLE Food and Beverage INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Oct 30, 2018 $56 TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Sep 28, 2018 $55 TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Sep 28, 2018 $28 HAT-TRICK PERI-LOC ANKLE FUSION VLP MINI-MOD VLP-FOOT PERI-LOC VLP Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, 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/36333

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.