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/40739
  • 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/40739
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.


TIM FISCHELL

Listed Specialty: Interventional Cardiology
1722 SHAFFER ST, SUITE 1, KALAMAZOO, MI, 49048-1633

2018 Payments: At a Glance

30

payments

$60,706

payment total

11

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Royalty or License
9 $59,059
Food and Beverage
20 $1,146
Consulting
1 $500

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
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$29,806
VENASEAL

device

$28,465
OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM

device

$788
AGGRASTAT

drug

$594
COREVALVE EVOLUT

device

$153
SYNERGY

device

$146
ASAHI FIELDER CORONARY GUIDE WIRE

device

$132
NC TREK CORONARY CATHETERS

device

$132
XIENCE V CORONARY STENT SYSTEM

device

$132
HI-TORQUE CORONARY GUIDE WIRE

device

$132
ANGIOSEAL

device

$125
GLIDESHEATH

device

$125
METACROSS

device

$125
TR BAND

device

$125
XIENCE ALPINE CORNARY STENT SYSTEM

device

$114
ASAHI PTCA GUIDE WIRE

device

$101
GLIDEWIRE

device

$93
GENERAL VASCULAR ACCESS

device

$91
IMPELLA

device

$90
GENERAL ATHERECTOMY

device

$43
† 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/40739

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Sep 1, 2018 $28,465 VENASEAL Royalty or License MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 30, 2018 $8,469 No Listed Product Royalty or License CORDIS CORPORATION
Aug 23, 2018 $8,326 No Listed Product Royalty or License CORDIS CORPORATION
Jun 6, 2018 $7,595 No Listed Product Royalty or License CORDIS CORPORATION
Feb 14, 2018 $5,416 No Listed Product Royalty or License CORDIS CORPORATION
Oct 11, 2018 $500 AGGRASTAT Consulting MEDICURE PHARMA INC.
Jul 28, 2018 $224 OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM Royalty or License MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
Oct 27, 2018 $215 OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM Royalty or License MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
Feb 24, 2018 $177 OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM Royalty or License MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
Apr 28, 2018 $173 OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM Royalty or License MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
Aug 9, 2018 $123 ASAHI FIELDER CORONARY GUIDE WIRE HI-TORQUE CORONARY GUIDE WIRE NC TREK CORONARY CATHETERS XIENCE V CORONARY STENT SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 9, 2018 $114 XIENCE ALPINE CORNARY STENT SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Apr 16, 2018 $114 SYNERGY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 28, 2018 $101 ASAHI PTCA GUIDE WIRE Food and Beverage ASAHI INTECC USA, INC.
Sep 22, 2018 $94 AGGRASTAT Food and Beverage MEDICURE PHARMA INC.
Jun 12, 2018 $93 METACROSS TR BAND GLIDESHEATH ANGIOSEAL GLIDEWIRE Food and Beverage TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Apr 13, 2018 $91 GENERAL VASCULAR ACCESS Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 18, 2018 $90 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Dec 20, 2018 $84 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Feb 20, 2018 $69 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, 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/40739

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.