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/730062
  • 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/730062
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.

JOHN KUPFERSCHMID

Listed Specialty: Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery)
4410 MEDICAL DR, SUITE 540, SAN ANTONIO, TX, 78229-6306

2018 Payments: At a Glance

23

payments

$1,795

payment total

9

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 22 $1,302
Travel and Lodging
 1 $493

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†
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $973
EPIC STENTED TISSUE VALVE

device

 $243
FORE-SIGHT

device

 $129
MASTERS MECHANICAL HEART VALVE

device

 $107
COREVALVE EVOLUT

device

 $104
AORTIC TISSUE VALVE - PERCEVAL

device

 $85
TRIFECTA GT TISSUE HEART VALVE

device

 $44
AVALUS

device

 $40
VASOVIEW

device

 $32
SURGICEL FAMILY OF ABSORBABLE HEMOSTATS

device

 $24
RAM

device

 $14
† 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.

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 29, 2018 $493 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging CRYOLIFE, INC.
Oct 5, 2018 $156 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOSTABLE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
May 4, 2018 $135 EPIC STENTED TISSUE VALVE Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Apr 9, 2018 $129 FORE-SIGHT Food and Beverage CAS MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC.
Jul 10, 2018 $122 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOSTABLE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
Nov 1, 2018 $108 EPIC STENTED TISSUE VALVE Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 2, 2018 $107 MASTERS MECHANICAL HEART VALVE Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
May 15, 2018 $87 No Listed Product Food and Beverage CRYOLIFE, INC.
Jul 30, 2018 $85 AORTIC TISSUE VALVE - PERCEVAL Food and Beverage LIVANOVA USA, INC.
Jul 9, 2018 $84 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOSTABLE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
Dec 19, 2018 $44 TRIFECTA GT TISSUE HEART VALVE Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Mar 30, 2018 $41 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Apr 3, 2018 $32 VASOVIEW Food and Beverage MAQUET CARDIOVASCULAR U.S. SALES, L.L.C.
Oct 2, 2018 $31 No Listed Product Food and Beverage BIOSTABLE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
Sep 14, 2018 $26 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Oct 10, 2018 $25 AVALUS Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Apr 10, 2018 $24 SURGICEL FAMILY OF ABSORBABLE HEMOSTATS Food and Beverage ETHICON US, LLC
Aug 24, 2018 $19 COREVALVE EVOLUT Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Jul 17, 2018 $15 AVALUS Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC VASCULAR, INC.
Apr 5, 2018 $14 RAM Food and Beverage LSI SOLUTIONS 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/730062

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.