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/77532
  • 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/77532
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.

THEODORE BELANGER

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery
3164 HORIZON RD, SUITE 100, ROCKWALL, TX, 75032-7805

2018 Payments: At a Glance

77

payments

$23,870

payment total

5

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Nonaccredited Training
 3 $14,500
Travel and Lodging
 24 $5,484
Food and Beverage
 49 $3,447
Education
 1 $439

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†
ALIF

device

 $12,108
XLIF

device

 $9,370
RELINE

device

 $716
TLIF

device

 $544
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $336
COHERE

device

 $314
BRIGADE

device

 $195
I-FACTOR PUTTY

device

 $183
FORMAGRAFT

device

 $171
ARMADA

device

 $171
PROPEL

device

 $159
OSTEOCEL

device

 $158
OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION

device

 $156
MESH

device

 $152
TRITANIUM

device

 $130
ATTRAX

device

 $123
BIODFACTOR

device

 $109
BIODOPTIX

device

 $109
BIODRESTORE

device

 $109
BIOFIX

device

 $109
† 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/77532

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Oct 23, 2018 $5,500 XLIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Dec 20, 2018 $5,000 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 23, 2018 $4,000 ALIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 23, 2018 $2,030 XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Dec 20, 2018 $1,256 ALIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 25, 2018 $510 ALIF XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 4, 2018 $497 ALIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Apr 25, 2018 $439 XLIF RELINE TLIF Education NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 19, 2018 $245 COHERE Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 18, 2018 $195 BRIGADE Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 23, 2018 $183 I-FACTOR PUTTY Food and Beverage CERAPEDICS, INC.
Jun 25, 2018 $171 ARMADA Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Nov 24, 2018 $154 RELINE Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 15, 2018 $152 MESH Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 29, 2018 $149 ALIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Nov 26, 2018 $142 PROPEL Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 10, 2018 $132 XLIF ALIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 7, 2018 $131 No Listed Product Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Apr 10, 2018 $130 TRITANIUM Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Aug 20, 2018 $130 FORMAGRAFT Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, 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/77532

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.