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/4559168
  • 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/4559168
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.


ALI RAHNAMA-VAGHEF

Listed Specialty: Podiatrist, Foot & Ankle Surgery
4201 SAINT ANTOINE ST, DETROIT, MI, 48201-2153

2018 Payments: At a Glance

28

payments

$9,197

payment total

5

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Education
4 $5,752
Travel and Lodging
9 $2,255
Food and Beverage
15 $1,190

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

$6,763
TRUELOK

drug

$530
GOTFRIED PC.C.P.

device

$510
ANCHORAGE

device

$502
CENTRONAIL TITANIUM SUPRACONDYLAR AND RETROGRADE NAIL

device

$457
RING - TRUELOK

drug

$432
BONE SCREWS

device

$278
CONTOURS LPS (LAPIDUS PLATING SYSTEM)

device

$278
ELBOW FIXATOR

device

$278
FRAGMENT FIXATION SYSTEM (FFS)

device

$278
ASNIS

device

$262
VARIAX

device

$262
ANKLE COMPRESSION NAIL (ACN)

device

$232
GALAXY FIXATION

device

$232
XCALIBER META-DIAPHYSEAL FIXATOR

device

$232
CALCANEAL MINIFIXATOR

device

$225
CENTRONAIL TITANIUM FEMORAL NAIL

device

$225
CENTRONAIL TITANIUM HUMERAL NAIL

device

$225
CENTRONAIL TITANIUM TIBIAL NAIL

device

$225
T2

device

$113
† 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/4559168

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Nov 7, 2018 $3,413 No Listed Product Education SUPREME ORTHOPEDIC SYSTEMS, LLC
Apr 13, 2018 $1,366 No Listed Product Education ARTHREX, INC.
Apr 14, 2018 $965 No Listed Product Education ARTHREX, INC.
Jan 30, 2018 $432 RING - TRUELOK Travel and Lodging ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Feb 8, 2018 $305 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging ARTHREX, INC.
Jun 19, 2018 $278 FRAGMENT FIXATION SYSTEM (FFS) BONE SCREWS GOTFRIED PC.C.P. CONTOURS LPS (LAPIDUS PLATING SYSTEM) ELBOW FIXATOR Travel and Lodging ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Jun 13, 2018 $269 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging ARTHREX, INC.
Mar 19, 2018 $265 No Listed Product Food and Beverage ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Jan 5, 2018 $262 ANCHORAGE VARIAX ASNIS Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Jun 1, 2018 $232 ANKLE COMPRESSION NAIL (ACN) XCALIBER META-DIAPHYSEAL FIXATOR CENTRONAIL TITANIUM SUPRACONDYLAR AND RETROGRADE NAIL GALAXY FIXATION GOTFRIED PC.C.P. Travel and Lodging ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Mar 30, 2018 $229 TRUELOK Travel and Lodging ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
May 1, 2018 $185 CENTRONAIL TITANIUM TIBIAL NAIL CENTRONAIL TITANIUM SUPRACONDYLAR AND RETROGRADE NAIL CENTRONAIL TITANIUM HUMERAL NAIL CENTRONAIL TITANIUM FEMORAL NAIL CALCANEAL MINIFIXATOR Travel and Lodging ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Aug 30, 2018 $144 ANCHORAGE Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Jan 7, 2018 $113 T2 Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
May 4, 2018 $110 TRUELOK Food and Beverage ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Mar 13, 2018 $104 PERI-LOC ANKLE FUSION VLP MINI-MOD VLP-FOOT CANNULATED SCREW PERI-LOC VLP Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Apr 13, 2018 $102 No Listed Product Food and Beverage ARTHREX, INC.
Jan 5, 2018 $97 ANCHORAGE Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Mar 20, 2018 $95 TRUELOK Food and Beverage ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
May 1, 2018 $65 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging ARTHREX, 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/4559168

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.