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/650974
  • 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/650974
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.

GEORGE ABDELMESSIEH

Listed Specialty: Podiatrist, Foot & Ankle Surgery
3300 GALLOWS RD, FALLS CHURCH, VA, 22042-3307

2018 Payments: At a Glance

23

payments

$3,256

payment total

6

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Travel and Lodging
 7 $2,270
Food and Beverage
 16 $986

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†
HEMICAP MTP RESURFACING

device

 $1,145
ILIZAROV SYSTEM

device

 $650
HAT-TRICK

device

 $505
TOPAZ

device

 $505
VLP MINI-MOD

device

 $505
TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME

device

 $293
FOOTPRINT ULTRA PK. SL, 4.5 AND 5.5MM KNOTLESS ANCHOR

device

 $223
EXTREMITIES INSTRUMENTS

device

 $155
PERI-LOC ANKLE FUSION

device

 $155
RAPTORMITE 3.0 OR 3.7MM SUTURE ANCHOR

device

 $129
TWINFIX 2.8 OR 3.5MM SUTURE ANCHOR

device

 $129
VLP-FOOT

device

 $129
REGRANEX

drug

 $122
MAKO

device

 $115
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $96
Q-FIX

device

 $94
VARIAX

device

 $91
COBLATION WANDS

device

 $51
DYONICS POWERMINI

device

 $51
ULTRATAPE

device

 $42
† 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/650974

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 9, 2018 $650 ILIZAROV SYSTEM Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Apr 11, 2018 $575 HEMICAP MTP RESURFACING Travel and Lodging ARTHROSURFACE INCORPORATED
Apr 21, 2018 $367 HEMICAP MTP RESURFACING Travel and Lodging ARTHROSURFACE INCORPORATED
Aug 9, 2018 $293 TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Jan 27, 2018 $185 HAT-TRICK VLP MINI-MOD TOPAZ Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Jan 25, 2018 $165 HAT-TRICK VLP MINI-MOD TOPAZ Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Aug 10, 2018 $129 FOOTPRINT ULTRA PK. SL, 4.5 AND 5.5MM KNOTLESS ANCHOR RAPTORMITE 3.0 OR 3.7MM SUTURE ANCHOR TWINFIX 2.8 OR 3.5MM SUTURE ANCHOR VLP-FOOT Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $122 REGRANEX Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Aug 23, 2018 $115 MAKO Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Apr 26, 2018 $94 HEMICAP MTP RESURFACING Food and Beverage ARTHROSURFACE INCORPORATED
Jun 13, 2018 $91 VARIAX Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Apr 26, 2018 $82 HEMICAP MTP RESURFACING Food and Beverage ARTHROSURFACE INCORPORATED
Apr 11, 2018 $76 No Listed Product Food and Beverage METRIC MEDICAL DEVICES, INC.
Jan 26, 2018 $65 EXTREMITIES INSTRUMENTS HAT-TRICK PERI-LOC ANKLE FUSION VLP MINI-MOD TOPAZ Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Jan 27, 2018 $54 EXTREMITIES INSTRUMENTS HAT-TRICK PERI-LOC ANKLE FUSION VLP MINI-MOD TOPAZ Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Jan 25, 2018 $51 FOOTPRINT ULTRA PK. SL, 4.5 AND 5.5MM KNOTLESS ANCHOR COBLATION WANDS Q-FIX DYONICS POWERMINI Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Apr 6, 2018 $42 FOOTPRINT ULTRA PK. SL, 4.5 AND 5.5MM KNOTLESS ANCHOR Q-FIX ULTRATAPE Food and Beverage SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Jan 25, 2018 $36 EXTREMITIES INSTRUMENTS HAT-TRICK PERI-LOC ANKLE FUSION VLP MINI-MOD TOPAZ Travel and Lodging SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
Sep 12, 2018 $20 No Listed Product Food and Beverage GOODE SURGICAL INC
Apr 26, 2018 $17 HEMICAP MTP RESURFACING Food and Beverage ARTHROSURFACE INCORPORATED

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/650974

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.