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/97049
  • 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/97049
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.

ATIF HAQUE

Listed Specialty: Neurological Surgery
1900 MISTLETOE BLVD, SUITE 200, FORT WORTH, TX, 76104-4014

2018 Payments: At a Glance

35

payments

$3,345

payment total

15

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Consulting
 1 $1,200
Food and Beverage
 27 $1,127
Travel and Lodging
 6 $1,005
Education
 1 $13

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†
SPINAL IMPLANTS

device

 $1,312
XLIF

device

 $1,110
RELINE

device

 $1,081
PULSE

device

 $1,050
NUCEL

device

 $270
SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM

device

 $128
PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS

device

 $102
CODMAN CERTAS

device

 $49
CODMAN HAKIM PRECISION VALVE

device

 $49
CUSA CLARITY

device

 $49
DURAGEN

device

 $49
DURASEAL EXACT

device

 $49
OSTEOCEL

device

 $43
VIVIGEN

device

 $38
CONCORDE

device

 $31
EXPEDIUM

device

 $31
SYNFIX

device

 $31
AVIATOR

device

 $25
ARCHON

device

 $24
COHERE

device

 $24
† 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/97049

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Feb 1, 2018 $1,200 SPINAL IMPLANTS Consulting SPINE WAVE, INC.
Oct 9, 2018 $404 XLIF PULSE RELINE Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 22, 2018 $292 PULSE RELINE XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 23, 2018 $148 PULSE XLIF RELINE Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Jan 8, 2018 $143 NUCEL Food and Beverage ORGANOGENESIS INC.
Oct 29, 2018 $128 SENZA SPINAL CORD STIMULATION SYSTEM Food and Beverage NEVRO CORP.
Jan 25, 2018 $127 NUCEL Food and Beverage ORGANOGENESIS INC.
Feb 1, 2018 $112 SPINAL IMPLANTS Food and Beverage SPINE WAVE, INC.
Oct 23, 2018 $104 XLIF PULSE RELINE Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 28, 2018 $102 PROCLAIM FAMILY OF SCS IPGS Food and Beverage ABBOTT LABORATORIES
Oct 22, 2018 $60 XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Mar 19, 2018 $49 CODMAN CERTAS CUSA CLARITY DURAGEN DURASEAL EXACT CODMAN HAKIM PRECISION VALVE Food and Beverage INTEGRA LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Oct 23, 2018 $45 PULSE RELINE XLIF Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 10, 2018 $38 VIVIGEN Food and Beverage DEPUY SYNTHES SALES INC.
Oct 9, 2018 $35 PULSE RELINE XLIF Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 23, 2018 $31 RELINE Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Aug 13, 2018 $25 AVIATOR Food and Beverage STRYKER CORPORATION
Feb 15, 2018 $24 TLX ARCHON OSTEOCEL COHERE Food and Beverage NUVASIVE, INC.
Oct 9, 2018 $21 PULSE XLIF RELINE Travel and Lodging NUVASIVE, INC.
May 21, 2018 $21 GRAFTON Food and Beverage MEDTRONIC USA, 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/97049

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.