Dr. Howard Busch, D.O.
What this data tells you about Dr. Busch
Dr. Howard Busch is a rheumatology in Loxahatchee, FL, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Busch performed 33,276 Medicare services across 2,301 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Busch received a total of $771,547 from 66 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 2302 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Busch is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tocilizumab injection (Actemra) | 22,080 | $5 | $11 |
| Abatacept infusion (Orencia) | 3,925 | $30 | $79 |
| Romosozumab injection (Evenity) for osteoporosis | 2,940 | $8 | $24 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 960 | $19 | $46 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 831 | $98 | $270 |
| Knee X-ray, 3 views | 345 | $32 | $90 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views | 174 | $38 | $123 |
| Administration of chemotherapy into vein, 1 hour or less | 172 | $104 | $345 |
| X-ray of pelvis, 1-2 views | 163 | $21 | $80 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 158 | $132 | $415 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views | 134 | $24 | $85 |
| X-ray of wrist, minimum of 3 views | 127 | $32 | $96 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views | 126 | $29 | $77 |
| Foot X-ray, 3+ views | 111 | $27 | $73 |
| X-ray of ankle, minimum of 3 views | 106 | $29 | $75 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 89 | $6 | $30 |
| Joint injection, major joint | 85 | $45 | $175 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views | 80 | $28 | $73 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 74 | $71 | $184 |
| Administration of non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy under skin or into muscle | 62 | $56 | $189 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views | 59 | $39 | $125 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection | 56 | $5 | $12 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 20 mg | 54 | $4 | $20 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) | 51 | $137 | $364 |
| Administration of chemotherapy into vein, each additional hour | 48 | $22 | $110 |
| Injection of additional new drug or substance into vein | 44 | $12 | $85 |
| Injection into tendon or ligament | 43 | $41 | $150 |
| Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from small joint | 40 | $32 | $135 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) | 36 | $39 | $120 |
| Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from medium joint | 31 | $39 | $145 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 28 | $178 | $521 |
| Injection of trigger points, 1-2 muscles | 18 | $43 | $155 |
| X-ray of middle spine, minimum of 4 views | 14 | $31 | $104 |
| X-ray of both hips, 2 views | 12 | $31 | $99 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (97%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in rheumatology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 2% for rheumatology in FL.
Geographic Context
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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Busch is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 2%), with 19 years of practice experience.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Busch experienced with tocilizumab injection (actemra)?
Does Dr. Busch receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Busch's costs compare to other rheumatologys in Loxahatchee?
What does Data Coverage mean?
Is this data up to date?
Explore related providers
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. The Transparency Score measures 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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