Who Paid My Doc
Guide ยท Updated 14 September 2026
What is Open Payments? The Sunshine Act database, explained
Open Payments is a federal program, run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), that publishes the payments and other transfers of value drug and medical device companies report making to doctors, certain other clinicians and teaching hospitals.
Where it came from
Open Payments was created by section 6002 of the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 law often called the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which added section 1128G to the Social Security Act. Companies began collecting data on 1 August 2013, and CMS first published it on 30 September 2014. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act later widened who is covered, starting with data collected in 2021.
Who has to report
- Applicable manufacturers — companies that make a covered drug, device, biological or medical supply.
- Applicable group purchasing organizations (GPOs) — organisations that buy or negotiate the purchase of those products for a group.
Companies report every calendar year, by the 90th day of the following year. Failing to report can cost a company a civil penalty of $1,443 to $14,432 per payment, up to $216,490 a year, and a knowing failure $14,432 to $144,329 per payment, up to $1,443,275 a year (amounts as adjusted for inflation in 2025).
Who is covered
- Physicians — doctors of medicine and osteopathy, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists and chiropractors. Medical residents are not included.
- Non-physician practitioners (from 2021 data) — physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants, and certified nurse-midwives.
- Teaching hospitals — hospitals that receive certain Medicare graduate medical education payments.
What is in it
CMS publishes three kinds of record, and this site keeps them apart:
- General payments — payments not made under a research agreement: consulting, speaking, meals, travel, gifts, royalties and more.
- Research payments — payments made in connection with a research agreement.
- Ownership and investment interests — stock, stock options, partnership shares and LLC memberships held by a physician or an immediate family member.
| Program year 2025 | Reported value | Records |
|---|---|---|
| General payments | $3,923,550,963 | 16,131,856 |
| Research payments | $9,497,235,059 | 931,959 |
| Ownership interests | $1,250,199,170 | 2,646 |
The three rows are not added up on purpose — they are different kinds of money. See program year 2025 in full.
Why it exists
The goal is transparency: patients, researchers and journalists can see the financial relationships between industry and the people who prescribe and use its products. It is not an enforcement list. In CMS's own words, “Just because financial ties are reported in Open Payments does not mean anyone has done anything wrong,” and CMS “does not comment on what relationships may be beneficial or potential conflicts of interest.”
How to use it
- Check a doctor by name, state or specialty.
- See which companies report paying the most.
- Learn when new data is published.
The official source is CMS at cms.gov/openpayments. The data is a U.S. government work and free to use.
Common questions
Is Open Payments the same as the Sunshine Act?
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act is the law, passed as section 6002 of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Open Payments is the CMS program that carries it out and publishes the data.
Who runs Open Payments?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Who Paid My Doc is an independent site that republishes the data and is not affiliated with CMS.
Does Open Payments show everything a doctor earns?
No. It covers only payments and ownership interests reported by drug, device, biological and medical supply manufacturers and group purchasing organizations. Salaries, insurance reimbursements and other income are not included.
Look it up yourself
More guides
All guidesCheck if your doctor gets paid by drug companies
Look up any U.S. doctor in the federal Open Payments record in under a minute: what to search, how to find the right person, and how to read what you see.
General vs research vs ownership
Open Payments splits money into three kinds that follow different rules. What each one covers, and why they should never be added together.
Does a payment mean wrongdoing?
A listing in Open Payments is not an accusation. Why these payments are legal and common, what they can and cannot tell you, and how to read them fairly.
What counts as a payment?
The categories drug and device companies must report — from food and beverage to consulting, speaking, royalties and travel — and the things they do not have to report.