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/959556
  • 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/959556
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.


MARK GARCIA

Listed Specialty: Diagnostic Radiology
4755 OGLETOWN STANTON RD, DEPARTMENT OF RADIOLOGY, NEWARK, DE, 19718-2200

2018 Payments: At a Glance

80

payments

$85,074

payment total

12

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Promotional Speaking/Other
5 $33,300
Consulting
2 $19,710
Travel and Lodging
8 $13,599
Nonaccredited Training
1 $8,700
Royalty or License
4 $7,430
Food and Beverage
60 $2,334

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
EKOSONIC

device

$70,786
OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM

device

$10,340
GENERAL THERAPIES

device

$2,500
GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION

device

$474
COOK MEDICAL GUNTHER TULIP

device

$136
LUTONIX

device

$126
ENDURANT

device

$114
GENERAL ATHERECTOMY

device

$93
IGT_D THERAPY

device

$80
S.M.A.R.T. SELF-EXPANDING NITINOL STENT

device

$65
COOK MEDICAL CATHETERS

device

$56
MYNXGRIP VASCULAR CLOSURE DEVICE

device

$49
VENASEAL

device

$41
S.M.A.R.T. CONTROL SELF-EXPANDING NITINOL STENT

device

$30
GENERAL METALLIC STENTS

device

$27
XARELTO

drug

$23
XOFIGO

drug

$23
TR BAND

device

$20
Payments with no listed product

N/A

$18
GLIDESHEATH

device

$15
† 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/959556

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jun 27, 2018 $16,800 EKOSONIC Consulting EKOS CORPORATION
Apr 10, 2018 $13,800 EKOSONIC Promotional Speaking/Other EKOS CORPORATION
May 8, 2018 $9,750 EKOSONIC Promotional Speaking/Other EKOS CORPORATION
Oct 12, 2018 $8,700 EKOSONIC Nonaccredited Training EKOS CORPORATION
May 11, 2018 $8,195 EKOSONIC Travel and Lodging EKOS CORPORATION
Apr 10, 2018 $5,000 EKOSONIC Promotional Speaking/Other EKOS CORPORATION
Apr 10, 2018 $4,224 EKOSONIC Travel and Lodging EKOS CORPORATION
Apr 18, 2018 $2,910 OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM Consulting MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
Mar 27, 2018 $2,500 GENERAL THERAPIES Promotional Speaking/Other BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION ENDOVASCULAR CONSULTANTS LLC
Apr 10, 2018 $2,250 EKOSONIC Promotional Speaking/Other EKOS CORPORATION
Jul 28, 2018 $2,100 OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM Royalty or License MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
Oct 27, 2018 $1,892 OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM Royalty or License MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
Feb 24, 2018 $1,758 OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM Royalty or License MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
Apr 25, 2018 $1,681 OSTIAL PRO STENT POSITIONING SYSTEM Royalty or License MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
Oct 12, 2018 $479 EKOSONIC Travel and Lodging EKOS CORPORATION
Sep 14, 2018 $369 EKOSONIC Food and Beverage EKOS CORPORATION
Apr 13, 2018 $264 EKOSONIC Food and Beverage EKOS CORPORATION
Apr 13, 2018 $255 EKOSONIC Travel and Lodging EKOS CORPORATION
May 11, 2018 $202 EKOSONIC Travel and Lodging EKOS CORPORATION
Apr 12, 2018 $183 EKOSONIC Food and Beverage EKOS CORPORATION

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/959556

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.