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/70995
  • 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/70995
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.

D. METZGER

Listed Specialty: Cardiovascular Disease
2050 MEADOWVIEW PKWY, KINGSPORT, TN, 37660-7332

2018 Payments: At a Glance

86

payments

$78,552

payment total

15

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 11 $67,500
Promotional Speaking/Other
 3 $8,000
Food and Beverage
 72 $3,052

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†
SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM

device

 $25,453
FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER

device

 $25,061
HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM

device

 $25,061
HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES

device

 $25,061
OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM

device

 $25,061
OVATION

device

 $24,000
XACT CAROTID STENT SYSTEM

device

 $23,654
ACCULINK CAROTID STENT SYSTEM

device

 $23,500
ACCUNET EMBOLIC PROTECTION SYSTEM

device

 $23,500
EMBOSHIELD NAV6 SYSTEM

device

 $23,500
AFX

device

 $8,000
IN.PACT ADMIRAL

device

 $3,017
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $757
CORONARY ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM

device

 $445
PERIPHERAL ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM

device

 $343
OPTIS CORONARY IMAGING SYSTEM

device

 $256
ABSORB

device

 $142
XIENCE ALPINE CORNARY STENT SYSTEM

device

 $119
MITRA CLIP SYSTEM

device

 $88
IMPELLA

device

 $73
† 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/70995

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jan 19, 2018 $12,500 ACCULINK CAROTID STENT SYSTEM ACCUNET EMBOLIC PROTECTION SYSTEM EMBOSHIELD NAV6 SYSTEM XACT CAROTID STENT SYSTEM Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 10, 2018 $10,500 FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Dec 18, 2018 $8,500 ACCULINK CAROTID STENT SYSTEM ACCUNET EMBOLIC PROTECTION SYSTEM EMBOSHIELD NAV6 SYSTEM XACT CAROTID STENT SYSTEM Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 13, 2018 $7,500 FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 13, 2018 $4,500 FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Consulting ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 10, 2018 $4,000 OVATION AFX Consulting ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Jun 18, 2018 $4,000 AFX OVATION Consulting ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Mar 1, 2018 $4,000 OVATION Consulting ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Jul 6, 2018 $4,000 OVATION Consulting ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Jan 4, 2018 $4,000 OVATION Consulting ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Jun 18, 2018 $4,000 OVATION Consulting ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Mar 9, 2018 $3,000 IN.PACT ADMIRAL Promotional Speaking/Other MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Nov 30, 2018 $2,500 FOX SV PTA CATHETER AND ARMADA 14 PERCUTANEOUS CATHETER AND VIATRAC 14 PLUS PERIPHERAL CATHETER HERCULINK ELITE RENAL AND BILIARY STENT SYSTEM HI-TORQUE SPARTACORE GUIDE WIRES OMNILINK ELITE VASCULAR STENT SYSTEM SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Promotional Speaking/Other ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Sep 27, 2018 $2,500 ACCULINK CAROTID STENT SYSTEM ACCUNET EMBOLIC PROTECTION SYSTEM EMBOSHIELD NAV6 SYSTEM XACT CAROTID STENT SYSTEM Promotional Speaking/Other ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Mar 30, 2018 $441 No Listed Product Food and Beverage ENDOLOGIX, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $191 PERIPHERAL ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM CORONARY ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM Food and Beverage CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC.
Apr 18, 2018 $170 CORONARY ORBITAL ATHERECTOMY SYSTEM Food and Beverage CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC.
Mar 27, 2018 $160 OPTIS CORONARY IMAGING SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jan 16, 2018 $142 ABSORB Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jul 11, 2018 $111 SUPERA PERIPHERAL STENT SYSTEM Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES

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/70995

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.