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/53730
  • 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/53730
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.

HECTOR FERRAL

Listed Specialty: Diagnostic Radiology
1725 W HARRISON ST, SUITE 456, CHICAGO, IL, 60612-3841

2018 Payments: At a Glance

39

payments

$32,314

payment total

10

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 5 $19,300
Promotional Speaking/Other
 2 $5,500
Nonaccredited Training
 1 $4,400
Food and Beverage
 24 $1,887
Travel and Lodging
 6 $1,127
Entertainment
 1 $99

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†
GLIDEWIRE

device

 $12,282
NAVICROSS

device

 $12,282
CFN PLEURX

device

 $8,272
COOK MEDICAL EMBOLIZATION

device

 $4,400
DENVER SHUNT

device

 $4,250
THERASPHERE

device

 $3,608
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $2,856
AZUR

device

 $1,072
COOK MEDICAL LIVER ACCESS

device

 $204
IN.PACT ADMIRAL

device

 $105
SPECTRANETICS UNDIV

device

 $99
COOK MEDICAL INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

device

 $87
COOK MEDICAL CATHETERS

device

 $81
COOK MEDICAL CELECT PLATINUM

device

 $50
PENUMBRA RUBY COIL

device

 $37
COOK MEDICAL SELF-EXPANDING STENT

device

 $35
DIGIFAB

drug

 $34
COOK MEDICAL STENTS

device

 $1
† 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.

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Nov 7, 2018 $8,225 NAVICROSS GLIDEWIRE Consulting TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Oct 22, 2018 $4,400 COOK MEDICAL EMBOLIZATION Nonaccredited Training COOK INCORPORATED
Jun 13, 2018 $4,250 CFN PLEURX DENVER SHUNT Promotional Speaking/Other BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY
Apr 27, 2018 $3,825 CFN PLEURX Consulting BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY
Sep 6, 2018 $3,150 NAVICROSS GLIDEWIRE Consulting TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Apr 6, 2018 $2,850 THERASPHERE Consulting BIOCOMPATIBLES, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $1,250 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other COVIDIEN LP
Aug 30, 2018 $1,250 No Listed Product Consulting COVIDIEN LP
Apr 21, 2018 $418 THERASPHERE Food and Beverage BIOCOMPATIBLES, INC.
Apr 21, 2018 $340 THERASPHERE Travel and Lodging BIOCOMPATIBLES, INC.
Sep 4, 2018 $286 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Oct 19, 2018 $242 NAVICROSS AZUR GLIDEWIRE Travel and Lodging TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Jan 23, 2018 $160 AZUR Food and Beverage TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Oct 12, 2018 $158 NAVICROSS AZUR GLIDEWIRE Travel and Lodging TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Aug 22, 2018 $123 NAVICROSS AZUR GLIDEWIRE Food and Beverage TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Oct 12, 2018 $121 NAVICROSS AZUR GLIDEWIRE Food and Beverage TERUMO MEDICAL CORPORATION
Mar 7, 2018 $107 COOK MEDICAL LIVER ACCESS Food and Beverage COOK MEDICAL LLC
Mar 28, 2018 $105 IN.PACT ADMIRAL Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Apr 19, 2018 $103 CFN PLEURX Food and Beverage BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY
Jul 28, 2018 $99 SPECTRANETICS UNDIV Entertainment PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION

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/53730

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.