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/786393
  • 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/786393
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.

P PAUL

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
100 SPALDING DR, 3RD FLOOR, NAPERVILLE, IL, 60540-6550

2018 Payments: At a Glance

63

payments

$248,792

payment total

4

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Royalty or License
 5 $218K
Nonaccredited Training
 2 $12,375
Consulting
 3 $11,250
Travel and Lodging
 17 $4,368
Food and Beverage
 36 $2,673

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†
TLIF

device

 $239K
NVM5

device

 $118K
HALO

device

 $118K
MODULUS

device

 $18,625
PLIF

device

 $2,027
XLIF

device

 $1,381
ATTRAX

device

 $479
OSTEOCEL

device

 $259
FULFILL GRAFT CONTAINMENT

device

 $146
ARCHON

device

 $142
PROPEL

device

 $132
LESSRAY

device

 $128
COROENT

device

 $125
SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM

device

 $120
MAXCESS-C

device

 $115
ALIF

device

 $100
GRAFT DELIVERY SYSTEM

device

 $86
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $78
FORMAGRAFT

device

 $74
IFUSE IMPLANT

device

 $52
† 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/786393

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jan 30, 2018 $100,000 TLIF Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC. Stern Spinal Surgical Consultants,
Feb 13, 2018 $30,655 NVM5 TLIF HALO Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC. Stern Spinal Surgical Consultants,
Aug 13, 2018 $30,016 TLIF NVM5 HALO Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC. Stern Spinal Surgical Consultants,
May 9, 2018 $29,882 NVM5 HALO TLIF Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC. Stern Spinal Surgical Consultants,
Nov 13, 2018 $27,572 TLIF HALO NVM5 Royalty or License NUVASIVE, INC. Stern Spinal Surgical Consultants,
Jun 5, 2018 $7,375 MODULUS TLIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC. Stern Spinal Surgical Consultants,
Nov 8, 2018 $5,000 TLIF MODULUS Consulting NUVASIVE, INC. Stern Spinal Surgical Consultants,
Oct 4, 2018 $5,000 TLIF Nonaccredited Training NUVASIVE, INC. Stern Spinal Surgical Consultants,
Jun 14, 2018 $4,750 MODULUS Consulting NUVASIVE, INC. Stern Spinal Surgical Consultants,
Dec 6, 2018 $1,500 MODULUS Consulting NUVASIVE, INC. Stern Spinal Surgical Consultants,
Jul 26, 2018 $1,198 PLIF TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Dec 20, 2018 $799 TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Jan 26, 2018 $575 XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 24, 2018 $524 PLIF TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 21, 2018 $168 TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 22, 2018 $157 ATTRAX Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Jul 18, 2018 $139 ARCHON Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 23, 2018 $138 PLIF TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Sep 20, 2018 $132 PLIF TLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Mar 9, 2018 $132 OSTEOCEL 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/786393

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.