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/65233
  • 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/65233
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.


LAWRENCE WHITNEY

Listed Specialty: Diagnostic Radiology
2125 CRYSTAL GROVE DR, LAKELAND, FL, 33801-6875

2018 Payments: At a Glance

209

payments

$23,798

payment total

17

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
7 $17,300
Food and Beverage
195 $3,969
Travel and Lodging
5 $1,651
Honoraria
1 $875
Entertainment
1 $3

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
CLEARVUE

device

$3,600
GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION

device

$3,226
DORADO

device

$3,200
DENALI

device

$3,200
FLUENCY

device

$2,862
PENUMBRA RUBY COIL

device

$1,526
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

$1,403
VIABAHN VBX BALLOON EXPANDABLE ENDOPROSTHESIS

device

$1,040
VALIANT CAPTIVIA

device

$866
LUTONIX

device

$602
ENDURANT

device

$260
INDIGO

device

$236
PERIPHERAL ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM

device

$202
IGT_D PERIPHERAL

device

$193
LIFESTENT

device

$174
EXCLUDER AAA ENDOPROSTHESIS

device

$172
SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM

device

$140
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$129
EMBOZENE

device

$95
VIABAHN ENDOPROSTHESIS WITH HEPARIN BIOACTIVE SURFACE

device

$76
† 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/65233

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 22, 2018 $3,200 DORADO Consulting BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
Jun 8, 2018 $3,200 DENALI Consulting BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
Mar 7, 2018 $3,000 GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION Consulting BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Aug 29, 2018 $2,800 CLEARVUE Consulting BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 5, 2018 $2,800 FLUENCY Consulting BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
May 31, 2018 $1,500 PENUMBRA RUBY COIL Consulting PENUMBRA, INC.
Jul 20, 2018 $875 VIABAHN VBX BALLOON EXPANDABLE ENDOPROSTHESIS Honoraria W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Aug 29, 2018 $800 CLEARVUE Consulting BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
Feb 25, 2018 $540 GENERAL THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Feb 25, 2018 $493 GENERAL THERAPIES Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 7, 2018 $441 VALIANT CAPTIVIA Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Feb 25, 2018 $371 GENERAL THERAPIES Travel and Lodging BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 8, 2018 $224 VALIANT CAPTIVIA Travel and Lodging MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Feb 24, 2018 $140 SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jun 20, 2018 $130 LUTONIX Food and Beverage BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
Oct 15, 2018 $120 EXCLUDER AAA ENDOPROSTHESIS Food and Beverage W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Jun 7, 2018 $97 No Listed Product Food and Beverage CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC.
Sep 8, 2018 $87 ENDURANT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Sep 7, 2018 $87 ENDURANT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
May 2, 2018 $87 INDIGO Food and Beverage PENUMBRA, 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/65233

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.