Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Deborah McDowell, FNP

Physician Assistant · Bakersfield, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
3838 SAN DIMAS ST, Bakersfield, CA 93301
6616161030
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1841262326 verify on NPPES ↗
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating. This page presents federal public records about Dr. McDowell from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
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What this data tells you about Dr. McDowell

Dr. Deborah McDowell is a physician assistant in Bakersfield, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. McDowell performed 1,724 Medicare services across 616 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. McDowell received a total of $719 from 6 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 13 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in physician assistant. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. McDowell is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ Top 6% volume in CA $719 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,724
Medicare services
Top 6% in CA for physician assistant
616
Unique beneficiaries
$64
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~86 Medicare services per year of practice

Top procedures by volume

Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.

Procedure Volume Avg. paid Avg. submitted
Nursing facility visit, moderate complexity
A follow-up visit by a healthcare provider at a nursing facility for an established patient. The visit involves moderate medical decision making and takes at least 30 minutes.
866 $70 $150
Nursing facility visit, low complexity
A daily follow-up visit for an existing patient in a nursing facility involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit requires at least 15 minutes of time if time is used to determine the level of care.
361 $44 $105
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)
A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
156 $81 $378
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
79 $50 $263
Initial nursing facility care, high complexity
An initial visit by a healthcare provider to a patient in a nursing facility involving a high level of medical decision making, lasting at least 45 minutes.
60 $118 $201
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
47 $35 $162
New patient office visit (45-59 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter.
24 $108 $515
Annual wellness visit, follow-up
A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service.
23 $115 $368
New patient office visit, 15-29 minutes
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting 15 to 29 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter meets this duration threshold.
22 $31 $236
Flu vaccine administration
This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient.
21 $28 $30
Flu vaccine, quadrivalent
A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus to help prevent seasonal influenza infection.
19 $76 $216
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle
A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle.
18 $8 $85
New patient office visit (30-44 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range.
17 $34 $339
Urinalysis, manual
A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells.
11 $3 $11
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$719
Total received (2021-2024)
Avg $180/year across 4 years
Top 31% in CA for physician assistant
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
6
Companies
13
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →

Payment profile

Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.

Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$719 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$180
2023
$238
2022
$50
2021
$250

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$144
Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2021-2024) ›
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$416
Novo Nordisk Inc
$125
Abbott Laboratories
$114
ABBVIE INC.
$27
Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 91.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AREXVY · ETERNA · Ozempic · QULIPTA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · VOWST · YCANTH
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →

Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for a physician assistant in Bakersfield?
Compare physician assistants in the Bakersfield area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Physician assistants within 10 mi
141
Per 100K population
15.5
County median income
$67,660
Nearest hospital
BAKERSFIELD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPES Weekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOS Monthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util. Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open Payments CY 2024
Disciplinary History — Not public N/A

This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. McDowell is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 years of NPI registration.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. McDowell experienced with nursing facility visit, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. McDowell performed 866 nursing facility visit, moderate complexity services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. McDowell receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. McDowell received a total of $719 from 6 companies across 13 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. McDowell's costs compare to other physician assistants in Bakersfield?
Dr. McDowell's average Medicare payment per service is $64. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. McDowell) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
About this page

All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.

This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. Data Coverage reflects data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →