The Tether
Payments companies reported to CMS as associated with The Tether. "Associated with" is CMS's wording: it links a payment to a product without saying the money was spent on it.
By year
Payments reported as associated with The Tether, per program year, as reported to CMS.
Who makes it
Specialties most often involved
Where the associated payments went, by the receiving clinician's specialty.
Clinicians most associated with The Tether
These are the largest totals companies reported as associated with The Tether. They are typically speaking or consulting arrangements, which companies must report by law; appearing here is not evidence of anything improper.
| Clinician | Location | Specialty | Associated payments (2023-2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amer Samdani | Philadelphia, PA | Neurological Surgery | $694,266.47 |
| Michael Vitale | New York, NY | Orthopaedic Surgery | $394,917.44 |
| Baron Lonner | New York, NY | $361,485.39 | |
| David Skaggs | Los Angeles, CA | Orthopaedic Surgery | $188,569.87 |
| Ryan Goodwin | Cleveland, OH | Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery | $100,193.68 |
| Lawrence Haber | Jackson, MS | Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery | $54,582.14 |
| Jaren Riley | Denver, CO | Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery | $48,437.10 |
| John Braun | Waterbury Center, VT | Orthopaedic Surgery of The Spine | $35,168.80 |
| Daniel Hoernschemeyer | Columbia, MO | Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery | $24,978.98 |
| Annalise Larson | Rochester, MN | Orthopaedic Surgery | $23,610.63 |
Prescribed The Tether?
See what its makers reported for your doctor. Two steps, private, no account.
Source: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019-2025, as reported to CMS by drug and device makers (published June 30, 2026). Drug and device detail covers 2023-2025.