Learn about the financial relationships that drug and medical device companies have with healthcare providers.

Learn more about Open Payments

Medical companies make a variety of payments to hospitals and health care providers.

These could include:

Hiring a physician to advise on a new treatment in development
Giving a hospital promotional materials for a new drug or device
Giving a hospital a research grant
Paying a nurse to speak at a conference
Bring lunch to health care workers during a pharmaceutical sales rep visit
Buying an ownership share in a company owned by a physician
Donating to fund a hospital expansion

Open Payments Insights

What are the payments for?

64%
research payments
26%
general payments
(food, travel, consulting, engagements, entertainment, etc.)
10%
investments*
*Ownership and investment interest includes those held by physicians or their immediate family members. This category is not applicable to non-physician practitioner covered recipients or teaching hospital covered recipients.

Most Paid by Specialty

Orthopaedic Surgery
Internal Medicine
Endodontics
Dermatology
Neurology

In 2024:

$172

or more in general payments have been received by half of physicians.

$3,200

or more for research have been received by half of physicians.

57%

of physicians have received payments.

“Studies have shown that healthcare providers who receive remuneration from a company are more likely to prescribe or order that company’s products.”

Source:

Office of the Inspector General

786

articles about Open Payments have appeared in medical journals in the last 10 years.