Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Peter Howard, MD
Orthopedic Surgery · Palm Harbor, FL
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
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. Howard 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. Howard
Dr. Peter Howard is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Palm Harbor, FL, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Howard performed 8,581 Medicare services across 1,141 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Howard received a total of $71,900 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 138 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Howard 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.
✓ 13 years in practice
▲ Top 7% volume in FL
$71,900 industry payments
Florida License Status
FL DOH · MQA1
Active license
None
Board action on record
0
Recent admin complaints
| Profession | License # | Status | Expires | Board Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Doctor | 133730 | Clear | January 31, 2028 | — |
Data from Florida Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance.
License records are public under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
Verify directly on FL DOH →
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗8,581
Medicare services
Top 7% in FL for orthopedic surgery
1,141
Unique beneficiaries
$12
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~660 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint lubricant injection (Gel-Syn) An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative into a joint space to supplement joint fluid. |
6,720 | $0 | $5 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 491 | $6 | $40 |
| 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. |
297 | $88 | $640 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
240 | $52 | $425 |
| 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. |
195 | $60 | $460 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
121 | $26 | $193 |
| 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. |
83 | $39 | $290 |
| 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. |
56 | $111 | $850 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
54 | $45 | $319 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
45 | $80 | $621 |
| Hip X-ray, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hip joint using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
40 | $33 | $240 |
| 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. |
33 | $72 | $570 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
28 | $9 | $62 |
| Elbow X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint using two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
19 | $21 | $158 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
18 | $103 | $710 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
17 | $30 | $200 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
16 | $41 | $319 |
| Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair A minimally invasive surgery to repair torn shoulder tendons using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
16 | $819 | $5,680 |
| Initial hospital admission, low complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving straightforward or low-level medical decision making, with at least 40 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
16 | $66 | $530 |
| Arthroscopic shoulder surgery for bone shaving and ligament repair A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera to shave part of the shoulder bone and repair a ligament. |
15 | $134 | $1,400 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
15 | $35 | $238 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
12 | $28 | $200 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
12 | $26 | $222 |
| Endoscopic release of biceps tendon A minimally invasive procedure using an endoscope to release the tendon that connects the biceps muscle to the shoulder. |
11 | $363 | $4,860 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
11 | $40 | $270 |
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.
0.2% high complexity
87.9% medium
12.0% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$71,900
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $10,271/year across 7 years
Top 13% in FL for orthopedic surgery
20
Companies
138
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.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$57,335 (79.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$13,194 (18.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,371 (1.9%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$16,660
2023
$8,901
2022
$18,236
2021
$12,719
2020
$3,746
2019
$139
2018
$11,497
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Linvatec Corporation
$55,191
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$5,669
Arthrex, Inc.
$4,575
Medinc of Texas
$2,557
CONMED Corporation
$2,144
MVP Orthopedics Inc
$701
Stryker Corporation
$302
Coastal Medical Technologies Llc
$157
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$151
Miach Orthopaedics, Inc.
$101
Vericel Corporation
$81
Bioventus LLC
$53
Catalyst OrthoScience
$52
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$50
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$43
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$20
Coastal Medical Technologies LLC
$20
Medacta USA, Inc.
$16
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$12
HERAEUS MEDICAL, LLC.
$5
Top 3 companies account for 91.0% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCUPASS DIRECT Crescent XL · AETOS Shoulder System · ALLOGRAFT TISSUE · ANATO · ARGO KNOTLEES · ASNIS · Archer CSR Total Shoulder System · BIOBRACE 23MM · BLUEPRINT PATIENT SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTATION · EXPAREL · Elite Hip Instruments · GELSYN-3 · GENESYS CROSSFT · GMK Sphere · HEALIX · HIP ACCESS INSTRUMENTS · HOFFMANN · Hip Positioning System · Iovera · K-15 PORK · LINVATEC ARTHROSCOPY · LINVATEC HIP PRESERVATION SYSTEM · LINVATEC KNEE PRESERVATION SYSTEM · LINVATEC SHOULDER ARTHROSCOPY · LIVATEC KNEE PRESERVATION SYSTEM · MACI · MACI _ PEAK Study · MAKO · OMNIFIT · PALACOS · PICO7 · Pico 14 · Q-Fix · REGENETEN Shoulder · Regeneten · Seglentis · XIAFLEX · Zilretta
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 →
The majority of payments (80%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Equivalent to $838 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
203
Per 100K population
21.1
County median income
$70,293
Nearest hospital
MEASE DUNEDIN HOSPITAL
5.0 mi
5.0 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. Howard is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in FL), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 13% of FL peers.
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. Howard experienced with joint lubricant injection (gel-syn)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Howard performed 6,720 joint lubricant injection (gel-syn) 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. Howard receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Howard received a total of $71,900 from 20 companies across 138 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. Howard's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Palm Harbor?
Dr. Howard's average Medicare payment per service is $12. 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. Howard) 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. 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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