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/84875
  • 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/84875
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 SPERLING

Listed Specialty: Adult Reconstructive Orthopaedic Surgery
200 1ST ST SW, ROCHESTER, MN, 55905-0001

2018 Payments: At a Glance

165

payments

$281,645

payment total

7

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Royalty or License
 20 $148K
Consulting
 75 $95,519
Travel and Lodging
 34 $34,142
Food and Beverage
 34 $1,888
Promotional Speaking/Other
 1 $1,750
Entertainment
 1 $240

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†
COMPREHENSIVE REVERSE

device

 $111K
CUSTOM SHOULDER COMPONENTS

device

 $40,917
COMPREHENSIVE SRS

device

 $22,400
ALPS PLATES AND INSTRUMENTS

device

 $20,040
EQUINOXE

device

 $19,501
COMPREHENSIVE ANATOMIC

device

 $16,939
COMP PRIMARY REVISION STEM

device

 $16,750
COMPREHENSIVE PRIMARY STEM

device

 $15,626
ALPS ELBOW

device

 $11,125
COMPREHENSIVE HUMERAL

device

 $8,976
STAGEONE

device

 $7,454
COMP REVERSE HUMERAL TRAY

device

 $3,892
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $3,124
COMPREHENSIVE NANO

device

 $2,818
IOBAN 2 ANTIMICROBIAL INCISE DRAPES

device

 $2,275
SUTURE ANCHOR

device

 $350
SIDUS STEM-FREE SHOULDER

device

 $258
ARTHROPLASTY IMPLANTS SHOULDER ARTHROPLASTY & FRACTURE REVERS

device

 $133
TRABECULAR METAL (TM) REVERSE

device

 $115
COMPREHENSIVE SHOULDER

device

 $102
† 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/84875

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Aug 15, 2018 $25,387 COMPREHENSIVE REVERSE Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Clinic
May 15, 2018 $24,042 COMPREHENSIVE REVERSE Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Clinic
Nov 14, 2018 $23,024 COMPREHENSIVE REVERSE Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Clinic
Feb 20, 2018 $22,970 COMPREHENSIVE REVERSE Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Clinic
Feb 13, 2018 $13,307 COMPREHENSIVE PRIMARY STEM Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Mar 6, 2018 $12,000 COMP PRIMARY REVISION STEM Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Apr 25, 2018 $9,019 EQUINOXE Consulting EXACTECH, INC. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Dec 11, 2018 $9,000 COMPREHENSIVE REVERSE COMPREHENSIVE ANATOMIC ALPS ELBOW Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Dec 5, 2018 $8,075 COMPREHENSIVE HUMERAL Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Oct 17, 2018 $7,150 EQUINOXE Consulting EXACTECH, INC. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Aug 15, 2018 $6,731 COMPREHENSIVE SRS Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Clinic
May 15, 2018 $6,091 COMPREHENSIVE SRS Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Clinic
May 15, 2018 $5,382 ALPS PLATES AND INSTRUMENTS Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Foundation
Aug 15, 2018 $5,266 ALPS PLATES AND INSTRUMENTS Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Foundation
Oct 24, 2018 $5,156 COMPREHENSIVE ANATOMIC Travel and Lodging ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $5,126 ALPS PLATES AND INSTRUMENTS Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Foundation
Feb 20, 2018 $5,109 COMPREHENSIVE SRS Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Clinic
Nov 14, 2018 $4,440 COMPREHENSIVE SRS Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Clinic
Feb 20, 2018 $4,266 ALPS PLATES AND INSTRUMENTS Royalty or License ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, INC. Mayo Foundation
Nov 20, 2018 $3,875 CUSTOM SHOULDER COMPONENTS Consulting ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS, 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/84875

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.