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/61731
  • 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/61731
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 GHEISSARI

Listed Specialty: Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery)
1245 WILSHIRE BLVD, SUITE 606, LOS ANGELES, CA, 90017-4810

2018 Payments: At a Glance

51

payments

$4,079

payment total

10

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 38 $2,227
Travel and Lodging
 13 $1,852

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†
INSPIRIS RESILIA AORTIC VALVE

device

 $1,099
ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM

device

 $804
ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM

device

 $792
EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM

device

 $540
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $415
ASSURITY PACEMAKER

device

 $142
INGEVITY

device

 $129
IMPELLA

device

 $119
EPIC STENTED TISSUE VALVE

device

 $114
QUADRA ASSURA CRT DEFIBRILLATOR

device

 $86
OFIRMEV

drug

 $74
AORTIC AND MITRAL TISSUE STENTED VALVES

device

 $65
TRIFECTA GT TISSUE HEART VALVE

device

 $64
CARPENTIER-EDWARDS PERIMOUNT MAGNA MITRAL EASE PERICARDIAL VALVE

device

 $63
PACEMAKERS

device

 $63
MRI READY LEADS

device

 $62
AVALUS

device

 $53
TENDRIL PACING LEAD

device

 $53
ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION

device

 $45
ATRICURE CRYOSURGICAL SYSTEM

device

 $45
† 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/61731

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Dec 12, 2018 $799 INSPIRIS RESILIA AORTIC VALVE Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Feb 21, 2018 $351 ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM Travel and Lodging ATRICURE, INC.
Feb 1, 2018 $220 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging ATRICURE, INC.
Sep 24, 2018 $168 EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Feb 3, 2018 $147 ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage ATRICURE, INC.
Nov 20, 2018 $130 EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM Travel and Lodging EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Feb 21, 2018 $129 INGEVITY Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Nov 21, 2018 $123 INSPIRIS RESILIA AORTIC VALVE Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Dec 5, 2018 $119 IMPELLA Food and Beverage ABIOMED
Oct 10, 2018 $114 EPIC STENTED TISSUE VALVE Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 19, 2018 $95 No Listed Product Food and Beverage KLS-MARTIN L.P.
Dec 5, 2018 $86 QUADRA ASSURA CRT DEFIBRILLATOR Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 4, 2018 $78 INSPIRIS RESILIA AORTIC VALVE Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jul 26, 2018 $76 ASSURITY PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Apr 17, 2018 $66 ASSURITY PACEMAKER Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Feb 20, 2018 $65 AORTIC AND MITRAL TISSUE STENTED VALVES Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Oct 23, 2018 $65 ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage ATRICURE, INC.
Apr 23, 2018 $64 TRIFECTA GT TISSUE HEART VALVE Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Apr 13, 2018 $64 EDWARDS INTUITY ELITE VALVE SYSTEM Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Jun 5, 2018 $63 CARPENTIER-EDWARDS PERIMOUNT MAGNA MITRAL EASE PERICARDIAL VALVE Food and Beverage EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES 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/61731

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.