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/4223843
  • 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/4223843
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.

JOHN ZHENG

Listed Specialty: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
155 N FRESNO ST, FRESNO, CA, 93701-2302

2018 Payments: At a Glance

58

payments

$15,375

payment total

11

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Grant
 1 $11,250
Food and Beverage
 52 $3,347
Travel and Lodging
 5 $778

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†
SYNCHROMED

device

 $11,428
SPECTRA WAVEWRITER

device

 $867
RESTORE

device

 $537
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $462
GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT

device

 $451
VECTRIS

device

 $254
BOTOX

drug

 $241
ALGOVITA

device

 $169
AMNIOEXCEL

device

 $149
IDRT

device

 $149
OMNIGRAFT

device

 $149
PRIMATRIX

device

 $149
TCC-EZ

device

 $149
CODMAN CERTAS

device

 $140
CODMAN HAKIM PRECISION VALVE

device

 $140
CUSA CLARITY

device

 $140
DURAGEN

device

 $140
DURASEAL EXACT

device

 $140
IVS - VERTEBRAL AUGMENTATION PRODUCTS

device

 $136
XEOMIN

drug

 $133
† 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/4223843

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Oct 31, 2018 $11,250 SYNCHROMED Grant MEDTRONIC USA, INC. Regents Of The University Of California - LA
Oct 4, 2018 $371 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 24, 2018 $203 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Dec 5, 2018 $178 SYNCHROMED Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 6, 2018 $166 VECTRIS Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 27, 2018 $159 RESTORE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Apr 17, 2018 $149 AMNIOEXCEL TCC-EZ PRIMATRIX IDRT OMNIGRAFT Food and Beverage DERMA SCIENCES, INC.
Nov 2, 2018 $140 CODMAN CERTAS CUSA CLARITY DURAGEN DURASEAL EXACT CODMAN HAKIM PRECISION VALVE Food and Beverage INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Feb 27, 2018 $139 BOTOX Food and Beverage ALLERGAN INC.
Dec 11, 2018 $138 ALGOVITA Food and Beverage NUVECTRA CORPORATION
Sep 18, 2018 $138 No Listed Product Food and Beverage STIMWAVE TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
Jun 12, 2018 $138 No Listed Product Food and Beverage STIMWAVE TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
Jan 30, 2018 $133 XEOMIN Food and Beverage MERZ NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Apr 4, 2018 $127 IVS - VERTEBRAL AUGMENTATION PRODUCTS Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Aug 25, 2018 $124 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 25, 2018 $116 GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 15, 2018 $110 GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Apr 6, 2018 $102 BOTOX Food and Beverage ALLERGAN INC.
Dec 7, 2018 $83 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Jul 31, 2018 $81 COOLIEF COOLED RADIOFREQUENCY Food and Beverage AVANOS MEDICAL

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/4223843

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.