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/86537
  • 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/86537
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.

RAYMOND LINOVITZ

Listed Specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
332 SANTA FE DR, ENCINITAS, CA, 92024-5143

2018 Payments: At a Glance

131

payments

$291,246

payment total

1

company paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 46 $257K
Royalty or License
 8 $18,637
Travel and Lodging
 24 $12,839
Food and Beverage
 53 $3,194

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†
ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT

drug

 $193K
COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD

drug

 $193K
TRINITY ELITE

drug

 $193K
TRINITY EVOLUTION

drug

 $193K
VERSASHIELD

drug

 $193K
CERVICAL-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR

device

 $40,646
PHYSIO-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR

device

 $40,646
SPINAL-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR

device

 $40,646
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $33,472
M6-C

drug

 $9,551
NGAGE SURGICAL MESH SYSTEM

device

 $7,150
PILLAR AL PEEK SPACER SYSTEM

device

 $7,013
SAMBASCREW

device

 $7,013
TDX POSTERIOR DYNAMIC STABILIZATION

device

 $6,600
FORZA PTC SPACER SYSTEM

device

 $6,325
TRINITY

drug

 $3,687
CENTURION POCT SYSTEM

device

 $1,650
3-DEGREES ANTERIOR CERVICAL PLATING (ACP) SYSTEM

device

 $1,513
FIREBIRD SPINAL FIXATION SYSTEM

device

 $1,513
FIREBIRD NXG SPINAL FIXATION SYSTEM

device

 $1,100
† 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/86537

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Mar 13, 2018 $29,563 TRINITY ELITE ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD TRINITY EVOLUTION VERSASHIELD Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Jun 12, 2018 $25,300 COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT TRINITY EVOLUTION VERSASHIELD TRINITY ELITE Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Feb 28, 2018 $23,195 ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT VERSASHIELD TRINITY ELITE TRINITY EVOLUTION COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Apr 11, 2018 $18,288 COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD VERSASHIELD TRINITY EVOLUTION ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT TRINITY ELITE Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
May 16, 2018 $14,025 ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT VERSASHIELD COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD TRINITY ELITE TRINITY EVOLUTION Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Oct 10, 2018 $11,550 COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT TRINITY EVOLUTION VERSASHIELD TRINITY ELITE Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Jul 12, 2018 $11,138 ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT TRINITY ELITE VERSASHIELD COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD TRINITY EVOLUTION Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $9,625 VERSASHIELD ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD TRINITY EVOLUTION TRINITY ELITE Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $9,213 SPINAL-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR CERVICAL-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR PHYSIO-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $8,388 COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT TRINITY EVOLUTION VERSASHIELD TRINITY ELITE Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Aug 16, 2018 $8,308 M6-C Travel and Lodging ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Feb 28, 2018 $8,250 CERVICAL-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR SPINAL-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR PHYSIO-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $7,150 PHYSIO-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR SPINAL-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR CERVICAL-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Sep 17, 2018 $6,875 VERSASHIELD ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD TRINITY ELITE TRINITY EVOLUTION Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Mar 13, 2018 $6,738 SPINAL-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR CERVICAL-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR PHYSIO-STIM OSTEOGENESIS STIMULATOR Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
May 16, 2018 $6,325 PILLAR AL PEEK SPACER SYSTEM TDX POSTERIOR DYNAMIC STABILIZATION FORZA PTC SPACER SYSTEM NGAGE SURGICAL MESH SYSTEM SAMBASCREW Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $5,363 No Listed Product Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Nov 14, 2018 $5,088 TRINITY ELITE COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD TRINITY EVOLUTION ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT VERSASHIELD Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Jul 12, 2018 $4,950 TRINITY ELITE VERSASHIELD ALLOQUENT STRUCTURAL ALLOGRAFT TRINITY EVOLUTION COLLAGE OSTEOCONDUCTIVE SCAFFOLD Consulting ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, INC.
Nov 13, 2018 $4,597 No Listed Product Royalty or License ORTHOFIX MEDICAL, 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/86537

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.