Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Stephen Hightower, M.D.
Urology Physician · Long Beach, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
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. Hightower 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. Hightower
Dr. Stephen Hightower is an urology physician in Long Beach, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hightower performed 36,457 Medicare services across 5,854 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hightower received a total of $4,135 from 48 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 175 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in urology physician. 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. Hightower 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 5% volume in CA
$4,135 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗36,457
Medicare services
Top 5% in CA for urology physician
5,854
Unique beneficiaries
$44
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~1,919 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infectious disease DNA/RNA test A laboratory test that uses a specific technique to detect the genetic material of an organism. This method amplifies the target DNA or RNA to identify the presence of the organism. |
15,106 | $34 | $40 |
| Yeast/candida DNA test A laboratory test that uses an amplified probe technique to detect the presence of Candida species, a type of yeast, in a patient sample. |
5,810 | $34 | $40 |
| Nucleic acid test for multiple organisms A laboratory test that uses amplified probe techniques to detect the genetic material of multiple organisms in a sample. |
3,480 | $69 | $75 |
| 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. |
1,797 | $100 | $475 |
| Urinalysis, microscopic examination A laboratory test that examines a urine sample under a microscope to check for cells, crystals, bacteria, or other substances. |
1,715 | $3 | $20 |
| Leuprolide injectable, camcevi, 1 mg | 1,344 | $66 | $235 |
| VRE nucleic acid detection test A laboratory test that uses amplified probe techniques to detect vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) DNA in a patient sample. |
1,162 | $34 | $40 |
| Staphylococcus aureus DNA test A laboratory test that uses DNA amplification to detect the presence of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in a sample. |
1,162 | $34 | $40 |
| MRSA nucleic acid detection test A laboratory test that uses amplified probe techniques to detect the genetic material of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria. |
1,162 | $34 | $40 |
| Strep A nucleic acid amplification test A laboratory test that uses nucleic acid amplification to detect the presence of Group A Streptococcus bacteria. This method identifies the genetic material of the bacteria to determine if an infection is present. |
1,162 | $34 | $40 |
| Group B Strep DNA test A laboratory test that uses DNA amplification to detect the presence of Group B Streptococcus bacteria. |
1,162 | $34 | $40 |
| Limited retroperitoneal ultrasound A focused ultrasound exam of the area behind the abdominal cavity to evaluate specific structures. |
378 | $50 | $275 |
| Mycoplasma genitalium DNA/RNA test A laboratory test that uses DNA or RNA probes to detect the presence of Mycoplasma genitalium bacteria in a sample. |
188 | $34 | $38 |
| Cystourethroscopy A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract. |
121 | $216 | $900 |
| 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. |
120 | $12 | $50 |
| 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. |
93 | $137 | $700 |
| Ceftriaxone antibiotic injection This code represents the administration of ceftriaxone sodium, an antibiotic medication. The charge is calculated for every 250 mg of the drug administered. |
92 | $0 | $19 |
| Additional urethral implant in prostate Placement of an additional implant into the urethra within the prostate gland using an endoscope. |
72 | $817 | $4,773 |
| Transrectal ultrasound of the pelvis An ultrasound imaging procedure where a probe is inserted into the rectum to visualize pelvic structures. |
48 | $120 | $725 |
| 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. |
46 | $75 | $325 |
| Subcutaneous or intramuscular chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering anti-cancer hormonal medication through an injection into the tissue under the skin or into a muscle. |
43 | $31 | $85 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
40 | $138 | $625 |
| Bladder ultrasound after voiding An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder. |
34 | $10 | $125 |
| Injection, garamycin, gentamicin, up to 80 mg | 29 | $2 | $25 |
| Ultrasound guidance for needle placement Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
24 | $51 | $350 |
| Prostate gland biopsy A procedure to remove small samples of tissue from the prostate gland for laboratory examination. |
23 | $201 | $1,025 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
17 | $145 | $790 |
| Prostate needle biopsy pathology exam Laboratory examination of prostate tissue samples obtained via needle biopsy. The pathologist inspects the tissue both visually and under a microscope to identify any abnormalities. |
15 | $148 | $3,060 |
| Urethral implant insertion in prostate A single implant is placed into the urethra within the prostate gland using an endoscope. |
12 | $1,182 | $6,640 |
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 ↗$4,135
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $591/year across 7 years
Top 38% in CA for urology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
48
Companies
175
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
$3,743 (90.5%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$392 (9.5%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$486
2023
$687
2022
$636
2021
$677
2020
$332
2019
$827
2018
$490
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$161
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$68
ACCORD HEALTHCARE, INC.
$67
Endo USA, Inc.
$49
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$33
Teleflex LLC
$31
Tolmar, Inc.
$22
Novo Nordisk Inc
$21
Boston Scientific Corporation
$17
PROGENICS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 60.9% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$790
ABBVIE INC.
$257
Coloplast Corp
$255
Tolmar, Inc.
$199
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$178
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$171
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$166
Boston Scientific Corporation
$157
Myovant Sciences Inc.
$139
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$123
Teleflex LLC
$122
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$114
Janssen Products, LP
$100
Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$97
ACCORD HEALTHCARE, INC.
$86
PFIZER INC.
$76
NeoTract Inc.
$73
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$70
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$68
Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited
$59
AbbVie, Inc.
$59
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$54
Endo USA, Inc.
$49
Accord Healthcare, Inc.
$45
Olympus America Inc.
$44
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$44
Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$42
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$41
180 Medical, Inc.
$35
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$33
Cook Medical LLC
$28
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$28
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$26
Allergan Inc.
$26
Egalet US Inc
$26
Ethicon US, LLC
$25
TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$24
Photocure Inc
$23
UroGen Pharma, Inc.
$22
Curium US LLC
$22
Novo Nordisk Inc
$21
COLOPLAST CORP
$21
C. R. Bard, Inc. & Subsidiaries
$20
UROGEN PHARMA, INC.
$20
PROGENICS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$17
Allergan, Inc.
$17
AbbVie Inc.
$13
SRS Medical Systems, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 31.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AQUABEAM ROBOTIC SYSTEM · AVEED · Altis · Axumin · BOTOX · CAMCEVI · CONTINENCE CARE · Cook Medical Lasers · Cysview · ELIGARD · ERLEADA · GEMTESA · GENERAL THERAPIES · JELMYTO · LUPRON DEPOT · LUTATHERA · Lupron · Lupron Depot · MYRBETRIQ · NOCDURNA · Natesto · Nubeqa · ORGOVYX · OXLUMO · Olympus Cysto-Resection · PLUVICTO · PROLARIS · PROVENGE · PYLARIFY · Porges Coloplast · REZUM · Rezum Generator · SPACEOAR VUE · SPEEDICATH · SPRIX · SpaceOAR VUE System - 10mL · SpeediCath · TOVIAZ · UROLIFT · UroCuff · UroLift · UroLift 2 System · UroLift System · VISTASEAL · VORTEK · XIAFLEX · XTANDI · XYOSTED · Xofigo · ZYTIGA
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 (90%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Urology physicians within 10 mi
430
Per 100K population
4.4
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
MEMORIALCARE LONG BEACH MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
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. Hightower is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 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. Hightower experienced with infectious disease dna/rna test?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hightower performed 15,106 infectious disease dna/rna test 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. Hightower receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hightower received a total of $4,135 from 48 companies across 175 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. Hightower's costs compare to other urology physicians in Long Beach?
Dr. Hightower's average Medicare payment per service is $44. 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. Hightower) 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 →
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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.
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