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/68747
  • 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/68747
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.

CHRISTOPHER ELLIS

Listed Specialty: Internal Medicine
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CTR, DIVISION OF CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE 383 PRB, NASHVILLE, TN, 37232-0001

2018 Payments: At a Glance

174

payments

$89,995

payment total

6

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 26 $50,790
Promotional Speaking/Other
 6 $19,600
Travel and Lodging
 58 $15,387
Food and Beverage
 84 $4,218

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†
AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS

device

 $35,853
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $16,420
WATCHMAN

device

 $14,876
CIRCULATORY SUPPORT

device

 $5,117
CVX-300

device

 $4,746
QUADRA ASSURA CRT DEFIBRILLATOR

device

 $3,953
CARTO 3 SYSTEM

device

 $2,800
THERAPIES

device

 $2,147
OCCLUDERS

device

 $1,403
MICRA

device

 $652
TYRX

device

 $451
TURBO ELITE

device

 $415
BRIDGE

device

 $320
EPI-SENSE GUIDED COAGULATION SYSTEM WITH VISITRAX, MODELS

device

 $253
ABLATION THERAPY HARDWARE

device

 $133
AMPLATZER VASCULAR PLUG AND ACCS

device

 $112
GLIDELIGHT

device

 $99
IGT_D THERAPY

device

 $78
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

 $62
IMAGE GUIDED THERAPY DEVICES _ THERAPY

device

 $49
† 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/68747

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Oct 21, 2018 $5,300 No Listed Product Consulting MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Cor Laa Consultants Llc
May 24, 2018 $4,500 WATCHMAN Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC
Nov 14, 2018 $4,000 WATCHMAN Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC
Feb 7, 2018 $3,500 WATCHMAN Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC
Apr 23, 2018 $2,900 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Cor Laa Consultants Llc
Mar 23, 2018 $2,900 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Cor Laa Consultants Llc
Nov 22, 2018 $2,880 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 3, 2018 $2,880 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC.
Aug 30, 2018 $2,880 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC.
Aug 30, 2018 $2,880 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC.
Nov 29, 2018 $2,880 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Apr 26, 2018 $2,880 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC.
Nov 22, 2018 $2,880 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 23, 2018 $2,800 CARTO 3 SYSTEM Consulting MEDICAL DEVICE BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC
Apr 26, 2018 $2,520 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC.
Jul 23, 2018 $2,400 CVX-300 Consulting PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NORTH AMERICA CORPORATION COR-LAA CONSULTANTS, LLC
Jul 19, 2018 $2,160 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC.
May 3, 2018 $2,160 AMPLATZER OCCLUDERS Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC.
Mar 22, 2018 $1,800 CIRCULATORY SUPPORT Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES COR-LAA CONSULTANTS LLC.
May 23, 2018 $1,800 No Listed Product Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC. Cor Laa Consultants Llc

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/68747

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.