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/991543
  • 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/991543
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.

JOSHUA AUSTIN

Listed Specialty: Dentist
4553 N LOOP 1604 W, SUITE 1211, SAN ANTONIO, TX, 78249-1363

2018 Payments: At a Glance

30

payments

$21,820

payment total

10

companies paid this doctor

Types of Payments

Category Payments Payment Value
Nonaccredited Training
 4 $10,500
Honoraria
 5 $4,250
Travel and Lodging
 4 $2,163
Accredited Training
 1 $2,000
Food and Beverage
 13 $1,833
Gift
 3 $1,075

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†
FILTEK ONE BULK FILL RESTORATIVE

device

 $11,879
SCOTCHBOND UNIVERSAL ADHESIVE

device

 $11,379
FILTEK SUPREME ULTRA FLOWABLE RESTORATIVE MATERIALS

device

 $4,879
Payments with no listed product

N/A

 $2,079
SUREFIL SDR FLOW

device

 $2,000
ELIPAR DEEPCURE-S DENTAL CURING LIGHT

device

 $2,000
FILTEK BULK FILL FLOWABLE RESTORATIVE MATERIALS

device

 $2,000
NOT RELATED TO ANY PRODUCT

device

 $1,779
CERAMIR CROWN & BRIDGE CEMENT

device

 $1,500
GC FUJI II LC

device

 $1,500
FILTEK SUPREME ULTRA UNIVERSAL RESTORATIVE MATERIALS

device

 $970
GC FUJI TRIAGE

device

 $736
MIRACLE MIX

device

 $736
SCOTCHBOND UNIVERSAL ETCHANT

device

 $500
GC FUJI AUTOMIX LC

device

 $244
FILTEK BULK FILL POSTERIOR RESTORATIVE MATERIALS

device

 $48
AQUASIL

device

 $43
DIGIT POWER DISPENSER

device

 $43
ENHANCE

device

 $43
TPH SPECTRA

device

 $43
† 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/991543

Payment Details

When How Much Related To What For From Third Party Payee
Jun 7, 2018 $5,000 FILTEK ONE BULK FILL RESTORATIVE SCOTCHBOND UNIVERSAL ADHESIVE Nonaccredited Training 3M COMPANY
Jun 7, 2018 $3,500 FILTEK ONE BULK FILL RESTORATIVE FILTEK SUPREME ULTRA FLOWABLE RESTORATIVE MATERIALS SCOTCHBOND UNIVERSAL ADHESIVE Nonaccredited Training 3M COMPANY
Mar 12, 2018 $2,000 SUREFIL SDR FLOW Accredited Training DENTSPLY LLC
Oct 12, 2018 $1,500 ELIPAR DEEPCURE-S DENTAL CURING LIGHT FILTEK BULK FILL FLOWABLE RESTORATIVE MATERIALS FILTEK ONE BULK FILL RESTORATIVE SCOTCHBOND UNIVERSAL ADHESIVE Nonaccredited Training 3M COMPANY
Dec 14, 2018 $1,500 GC FUJI II LC Honoraria GC AMERICA INC.
Mar 13, 2018 $1,000 CERAMIR CROWN & BRIDGE CEMENT Honoraria DOXA DENTAL, INC.
Feb 9, 2018 $1,000 No Listed Product Honoraria IVOCLAR VIVADENT, INC.
Aug 16, 2018 $823 NOT RELATED TO ANY PRODUCT Travel and Lodging KERR CORPORATION
Aug 31, 2018 $812 FILTEK ONE BULK FILL RESTORATIVE FILTEK SUPREME ULTRA FLOWABLE RESTORATIVE MATERIALS FILTEK SUPREME ULTRA UNIVERSAL RESTORATIVE MATERIALS SCOTCHBOND UNIVERSAL ADHESIVE Travel and Lodging 3M COMPANY
May 10, 2018 $736 MIRACLE MIX GC FUJI TRIAGE Gift GC AMERICA INC.
Jun 6, 2018 $500 CERAMIR CROWN & BRIDGE CEMENT Honoraria DOXA DENTAL, INC.
Oct 12, 2018 $500 ELIPAR DEEPCURE-S DENTAL CURING LIGHT FILTEK BULK FILL FLOWABLE RESTORATIVE MATERIALS FILTEK ONE BULK FILL RESTORATIVE SCOTCHBOND UNIVERSAL ETCHANT Nonaccredited Training 3M COMPANY
Jun 7, 2018 $408 FILTEK ONE BULK FILL RESTORATIVE FILTEK SUPREME ULTRA FLOWABLE RESTORATIVE MATERIALS SCOTCHBOND UNIVERSAL ADHESIVE Travel and Lodging 3M COMPANY
Aug 17, 2018 $406 NOT RELATED TO ANY PRODUCT Food and Beverage KERR CORPORATION
Nov 29, 2018 $302 No Listed Product Food and Beverage PULPDENT CORPORATION
Aug 16, 2018 $257 NOT RELATED TO ANY PRODUCT Food and Beverage KERR CORPORATION
Feb 23, 2018 $250 No Listed Product Honoraria IVOCLAR VIVADENT, INC.
Dec 10, 2018 $244 GC FUJI AUTOMIX LC Gift GC AMERICA INC.
Jun 16, 2018 $233 No Listed Product Food and Beverage IVOCLAR VIVADENT, INC.
Aug 18, 2018 $174 NOT RELATED TO ANY PRODUCT Food and Beverage KERR 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/991543

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.