Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Clayton Pennington, M.D.

Internal Medicine · Augusta, GA
Practice pattern: Cardiac Surgery — Surgically focused practice
Low-engagement
1120 15TH ST, Augusta, GA 30912
7067212423
In practice since 2014 (12 years)
NPI: 1467867002 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. Pennington 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. Pennington

Dr. Clayton Pennington is an internal medicine specialist in Augusta, GA, with 12 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Pennington performed 781 Medicare services across 629 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Pennington received a total of $1,961 from 25 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 48 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in internal medicine. 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. Pennington 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.

✓ 12 years in practice ▲ Top 44% volume in GA $1,961 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
781
Medicare services
Top 44% in GA for internal medicine
629
Unique beneficiaries
$142
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~65 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
Corneal topography and eye depth measurement
This procedure measures the curvature and depth of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye.
182 $33 $128
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a new patient.
164 $111 $345
Cataract surgery with lens implant
Surgical removal of the clouded natural lens of the eye and replacement with an artificial prosthetic lens to restore vision.
151 $416 $1,463
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient
A comprehensive examination of the visual system performed for a patient who has previously been seen by the provider.
102 $98 $270
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)
This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye.
82 $31 $100
Laser removal of recurring cataract
A laser procedure to remove a recurring cataract within the lens capsule.
26 $256 $871
Eye exam, established patient, focused
A limited examination of the visual system for an existing patient. The provider focuses on a specific eye-related concern or symptom.
23 $69 $183
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.
21 $91 $254
New patient eye exam, problem focused
A focused examination of the visual system performed during a new patient visit.
16 $65 $176
Retinal photography (fundus photo)
This procedure involves taking photographs of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. It is used to document the condition of the eye's interior structures.
14 $30 $150
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.
19.3% high complexity
10.5% medium
70.2% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$1,961
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $327/year across 6 years
Top 31% in GA for internal medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
25
Companies
48
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
$1,952 (99.6%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$9 (0.4%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$401
2023
$596
2022
$182
2020
$58
2019
$403
2018
$321

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Alcon Vision LLC
$285
ABBVIE INC.
$48
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$38
LKC Technologies, Inc.
$29
Top 3 companies account for 92.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Alcon Vision LLC
$559
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
$213
Allergan Inc.
$177
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$127
GENZYME CORPORATION
$114
VANTAGE TECHNOLOGY LLC
$90
Optos, Inc.
$88
Shire North American Group Inc
$87
ABBVIE INC.
$80
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$70
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$58
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$38
CooperVision Inc.
$36
LKC Technologies, Inc.
$29
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$24
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$24
ABB Con-Cise Optical Group LLC
$22
GLAUKOS CORPORATION
$21
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$19
Carl Zeiss Meditec USA, Inc.
$16
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$16
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$16
Allergan, Inc.
$15
Glaukos Corporation
$13
Retrophin, Inc.
$9
Top 3 companies account for 48.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(820) Cholbam · ACTHAR · ALDURAZYME · Avenova · Clareon · Contact Lens · DAILIES · ENVISTA · EYLEA AFLIBERCEPT INJECTION · HYDRUS Microstent · IOLMaster 700 · KXL SYSTEM · LUMIGAN · MENTOR MemoryGel Resterilizable Gel Sizer · MiSight Contact Lens · Multiple Brands Contact Lens · NFC-700 · OZURDEX · Rhopressa · TECNIS IOL · TearCare SmartLid · Tecnis Multifocal Family of 1-piece IOLS · XELPROS · XEN · XEN GLAUCOMA TREATMENT SYSTEM · XIIDRA · iStent inject Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent System
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 an internal medicine specialist in Augusta?
Compare internal medicine physicians in the Augusta area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse internal medicine physicians nearby

Geographic Context

Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
447
Per 100K population
216.9
County median income
$53,197
Nearest hospital
WELLSTAR MCG HEALTH, AFFILIATED WITH MED COL
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. Pennington is a cardiac surgery specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Pennington experienced with corneal topography and eye depth measurement?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Pennington performed 182 corneal topography and eye depth measurement 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. Pennington receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Pennington received a total of $1,961 from 25 companies across 48 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. Pennington's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in Augusta?
Dr. Pennington's average Medicare payment per service is $142. 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. Pennington) 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 →