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/78799
  • 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/78799
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.

TED LIN

Listed Specialty: Anesthesiology
450 BLOSSOM ST STE B, WEBSTER, TX, 77598-4200

2018 Payments: At a Glance

191

payments

$3,278

payment total

30

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Food and Beverage
 188 $3,270
Education
 3 $8

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†
RESTORE

device

 $468
MYSTIM

device

 $348
MORPHABOND ER

drug

 $324
PROTEGE FAMILY OF SCS IPGS

device

 $215
SPECTRA WAVEWRITER

device

 $159
LYRICA

drug

 $152
PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS

device

 $147
EMBEDA

drug

 $144
FLECTOR PATCH

drug

 $136
XTAMPZA

drug

 $127
BELBUCA

drug

 $125
SYNCHROMED

device

 $117
RELISTOR

drug

 $111
BOTOX

drug

 $94
AMITIZA

drug

 $94
AIMOVIG

drug

 $85
MOVANTIK

drug

 $71
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $62
LUCEMYRA

drug

 $59
XEOMIN

drug

 $55
† 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/78799

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Feb 1, 2018 $185 MYSTIM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Apr 24, 2018 $163 MYSTIM Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Dec 17, 2018 $147 PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Jul 24, 2018 $145 PROTEGE FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Aug 21, 2018 $139 RESTORE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Jan 31, 2018 $125 BELBUCA Food and Beverage BIODELIVERY SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Apr 10, 2018 $122 RESTORE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Nov 2, 2018 $117 SYNCHROMED Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Mar 10, 2018 $70 PROTEGE FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Feb 1, 2018 $55 INTELLIS Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Oct 18, 2018 $48 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
May 11, 2018 $38 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Sep 10, 2018 $27 XEOMIN Food and Beverage MERZ NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Jun 26, 2018 $25 SPECTRA WAVEWRITER Food and Beverage BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
Oct 2, 2018 $23 LUCEMYRA Food and Beverage SALIX PHARMACEUTICALS, A DIVISION OF BAUSCH HEALTH US, LLC
Mar 5, 2018 $23 AMITIZA Food and Beverage TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICALS U.S.A., INC.
Aug 17, 2018 $21 EVZIO Food and Beverage KALEO, INC.
May 9, 2018 $20 RESTORE Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, INC.
Feb 5, 2018 $20 MOVANTIK Food and Beverage DAIICHI SANKYO INC.
Mar 2, 2018 $20 BOTOX Food and Beverage ALLERGAN 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/78799

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.