Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Kenneth Howard, MD
Family Medicine · Calhoun, GA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. 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. Kenneth Howard is a family medicine specialist in Calhoun, GA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Howard performed 3,632 Medicare services across 2,266 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Howard received a total of $4,254 from 41 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 225 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family 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. Howard 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 9% volume in GA
$4,254 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,632
Medicare services
Top 9% in GA for family medicine
2,266
Unique beneficiaries
$34
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~191 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
842 | $77 | $158 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
572 | $8 | $15 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
328 | $10 | $60 |
| 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. |
269 | $59 | $108 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
236 | $13 | $70 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
189 | $9 | $45 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
171 | $16 | $70 |
| Office visit for established patient An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present. |
148 | $13 | $35 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
104 | $8 | $40 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
83 | $2 | $20 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
65 | $29 | $40 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
60 | $72 | $99 |
| Prothrombin time test (blood clotting) A laboratory test that measures how long it takes for blood to clot. This procedure evaluates the body's coagulation process. |
59 | $4 | $30 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
54 | $8 | $50 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
52 | $122 | $169 |
| Chest X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the chest that captures two different angles to visualize the lungs, heart, and chest wall. |
48 | $14 | $80 |
| Annual depression screening | 36 | $17 | $40 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
34 | $9 | $72 |
| COVID-19 amplified DNA/RNA probe detection A laboratory test that uses amplified DNA or RNA probes to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) antigen. |
31 | $50 | $160 |
| Urine microalbumin test (kidney screening) A laboratory test that measures the amount of microalbumin, a small protein, in a urine sample. This test is used to detect early signs of kidney damage. |
30 | $6 | $50 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
30 | $5 | $25 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
25 | $15 | $65 |
| 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. |
23 | $34 | $125 |
| Urine culture, bacterial colony count A laboratory test that measures the number of bacteria growing in a urine sample to help identify infections. |
21 | $8 | $45 |
| Home health plan of care re-certification A physician reviews the patient's status and contacts the home health agency to re-certify the plan of care without the patient being present. |
21 | $29 | $110 |
| Kidney function blood test panel | 17 | $9 | $60 |
| Transitional care management, high complexity Coordination of care for a patient transitioning from a short-term hospital stay or other facility to home or another care setting. This service addresses a high-complexity medical problem. |
16 | $200 | $660 |
| Transitional care management services, moderate complexity Services provided to coordinate care during the transition from an inpatient or other facility setting back to the community. This includes follow-up and management of a health problem of at least moderate complexity. |
15 | $148 | $470 |
| Folic acid level test A blood test that measures the amount of folic acid in the serum. |
14 | $14 | $75 |
| Abdominal X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the abdomen using two different angles to visualize internal structures. |
13 | $17 | $77 |
| Natriuretic peptide level test A blood test that measures the level of natriuretic peptide, a protein produced by the heart and blood vessels. |
13 | $38 | $90 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
13 | $19 | $95 |
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 ↗$4,254
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $608/year across 7 years
Top 17% in GA for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
41
Companies
225
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
$4,254 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$204
2023
$1,034
2022
$1,002
2021
$173
2020
$322
2019
$744
2018
$775
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Exact Sciences Corporation
$50
ABBVIE INC.
$45
Novo Nordisk Inc
$36
PFIZER INC.
$35
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$24
Abbott Laboratories
$13
Top 3 companies account for 64.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novo Nordisk Inc
$562
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$489
ABBVIE INC.
$373
PFIZER INC.
$373
Lilly USA, LLC
$218
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$178
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$146
Amgen Inc.
$141
Exact Sciences Corporation
$136
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$136
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$130
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$103
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$102
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$96
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$92
Valeritas, Inc.
$84
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$80
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$76
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$62
Calliditas Therapeutics US Inc.
$59
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$56
AbbVie Inc.
$52
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$49
Allergan Inc.
$42
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$41
Boston Scientific Corporation
$39
Abbott Laboratories
$33
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$33
Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.
$32
Dexcom, Inc.
$31
Shire North American Group Inc
$26
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$25
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$24
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$22
Biom'Up France SAS
$20
GENZYME CORPORATION
$18
AbbVie, Inc.
$17
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$16
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$15
Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
$14
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$12
Top 3 companies account for 33.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Aimovig · BEXSERO · BYDUREON · BYSTOLIC · Baxdela · CHANTIX · Cologuard Collection Kit · DUEXIS · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · FARXIGA · FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · GVOKE HYPOPEN · GVOKE PFS · HemoBlast Bellows · Heplisav-B · INJECTAFER · INSPIRE · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · JYNARQUE · Kerendia · LEQVIO · LOKELMA · LifeVest · Livalo · MOUNJARO · MYDAYIS · NEXLETOL · ONPATTRO · Otezla · Ozempic · PREVNAR 13 · PREVNAR 20 · Prolia · Repatha · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SYMBICORT · Seglentis · Synthroid · TARPEYO · TAVNEOS · TOUJEO · TRULICITY · Tresiba · Trintellix · UTIBRON NEOHALER · V-GO · VRAYLAR · VYVANSE · Veozah · Victoza
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.
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
193
Per 100K population
330.8
County median income
$61,997
Nearest hospital
ADVENTHEALTH GORDON
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. Howard is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 9% in GA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 17% of GA peers, 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. Howard experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Howard performed 842 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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 $4,254 from 41 companies across 225 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 family medicine physicians in Calhoun?
Dr. Howard's average Medicare payment per service is $34. 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. 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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