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/733774
  • 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/733774
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.

FRED MO

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
3800 RESERVOIR RD NW, WASHINGTON, DC, 20007-2113

2018 Payments: At a Glance

51

payments

$68,330

payment total

6

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 10 $61,600
Travel and Lodging
 15 $4,669
Food and Beverage
 26 $2,061

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

 $51,533
ARIA

device

 $7,137
SPINAL IMPLANTS

device

 $5,134
ALIF

device

 $1,962
XLIF

device

 $1,962
RELINE

device

 $1,759
XIA

device

 $1,413
OSTEOCEL

device

 $362
ALIF PLATE

device

 $322
IGA

device

 $282
TRITANIUM

device

 $259
LESSRAY

device

 $203
X-CORE MINI

device

 $203
MAZORX - RENAISSANCE

device

 $165
COALESCE

device

 $159
COHERE

device

 $159
PULSE

device

 $159
TLIF

device

 $155
BIO4

device

 $128
VITOSS

device

 $128
† 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/733774

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Dec 31, 2018 $25,000 No Listed Product Consulting INNOVASIS INC CMF LLC
Sep 30, 2018 $25,000 No Listed Product Consulting INNOVASIS INC CMF LLC
Jul 26, 2018 $6,500 ARIA Consulting STRYKER CORPORATION
Jan 12, 2018 $1,800 SPINAL IMPLANTS Consulting SPINE WAVE, INC.
Dec 12, 2018 $1,412 No Listed Product Travel and Lodging INNOVASIS INC
Sep 27, 2018 $995 RELINE XLIF ALIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 4, 2018 $900 SPINAL IMPLANTS Consulting SPINE WAVE, INC.
Nov 27, 2018 $607 XIA Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
May 7, 2018 $600 SPINAL IMPLANTS Consulting SPINE WAVE, INC.
Jul 11, 2018 $600 SPINAL IMPLANTS Consulting SPINE WAVE, INC.
Nov 7, 2018 $400 SPINAL IMPLANTS Consulting SPINE WAVE, INC.
Apr 2, 2018 $400 SPINAL IMPLANTS Consulting SPINE WAVE, INC.
Oct 30, 2018 $400 SPINAL IMPLANTS Consulting SPINE WAVE, INC.
Oct 5, 2018 $254 ALIF RELINE XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 26, 2018 $240 ARIA Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Feb 8, 2018 $203 LESSRAY ALIF XLIF X-CORE MINI OSTEOCEL Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Dec 15, 2018 $166 ALIF PLATE Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION
Jul 18, 2018 $165 MAZORX - RENAISSANCE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jul 25, 2018 $159 COHERE PULSE COALESCE OSTEOCEL IGA Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Dec 15, 2018 $156 ALIF PLATE Travel and Lodging STRYKER CORPORATION

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/733774

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.