Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Thomas Yates, MD
Internal Medicine · Toccoa, 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. Yates 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. Yates
Dr. Thomas Yates is an internal medicine specialist in Toccoa, GA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Yates performed 5,322 Medicare services across 2,680 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Yates received a total of $9,530 from 50 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 626 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. Yates 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 6% volume in GA
$9,530 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗5,322
Medicare services
Top 6% in GA for internal medicine
2,680
Unique beneficiaries
$34
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~266 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. |
898 | $81 | $217 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
866 | $8 | $19 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
575 | $8 | $28 |
| 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. |
410 | $8 | $23 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
284 | $9 | $29 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
187 | $13 | $45 |
| 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. |
184 | $47 | $145 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
175 | $78 | $1,075 |
| Kidney function blood test panel | 168 | $9 | $26 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
164 | $120 | $262 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
151 | $29 | $44 |
| 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. |
144 | $72 | $95 |
| 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. |
102 | $10 | $55 |
| 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. |
101 | $4 | $13 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
96 | $96 | $618 |
| Anticoagulant management for warfarin Management of anticoagulant therapy for a patient taking warfarin. This service involves monitoring and adjusting the medication regimen. |
84 | $6 | $35 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
80 | $1 | $4 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
78 | $3 | $10 |
| 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. |
60 | $28 | $184 |
| 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. |
60 | $0 | $31 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
51 | $16 | $54 |
| 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. |
48 | $39 | $245 |
| Drug test with direct observation A drug screening test performed under direct observation to ensure the sample is provided correctly. This method is used to verify the integrity of the specimen collection process. |
42 | $12 | $114 |
| Perflutren lipid microspheres injection Injection of perflutren lipid microspheres, measured per milliliter. |
42 | $36 | $156 |
| 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. |
29 | $6 | $18 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
25 | $29 | $93 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
25 | $5 | $16 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
23 | $19 | $105 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
22 | $10 | $37 |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) An intramuscular injection of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It is used to protect against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. |
22 | $281 | $400 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
22 | $29 | $44 |
| Urine total protein level A laboratory test that measures the total amount of protein present in a urine sample. |
21 | $4 | $12 |
| Ultrasound of abdominal aorta An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the abdominal aorta, the large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lower body. |
15 | $71 | $334 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
15 | $15 | $46 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in one arm or leg using compression and other maneuvers to assess blood flow and check for blockages. |
15 | $63 | $412 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the blood vessels in the legs or any surgical grafts present. |
14 | $131 | $769 |
| 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. |
12 | $8 | $90 |
| Natriuretic peptide level test A blood test that measures the level of natriuretic peptide, a protein produced by the heart and blood vessels. |
12 | $38 | $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.
3.3% high complexity
8.0% medium
88.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$9,530
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,361/year across 7 years
Top 8% in GA for internal medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
50
Companies
626
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
$9,500 (99.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$30 (0.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,081
2023
$1,480
2022
$1,596
2021
$1,157
2020
$1,259
2019
$1,287
2018
$1,670
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$152
Lilly USA, LLC
$135
PFIZER INC.
$83
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$81
Corcept Therapeutics
$80
Amgen Inc.
$68
Indivior Inc.
$66
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$59
ABBVIE INC.
$52
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$47
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$46
Novo Nordisk Inc
$46
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$39
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$27
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$21
Lundbeck LLC
$19
Exact Sciences Corporation
$18
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$15
Dexcom, Inc.
$14
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 34.2% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
PFIZER INC.
$1,248
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$1,105
Amgen Inc.
$870
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$754
Novo Nordisk Inc
$701
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$627
Lilly USA, LLC
$479
AbbVie Inc.
$441
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$308
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$305
ABBVIE INC.
$264
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$230
Corcept Therapeutics
$197
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$192
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$158
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$148
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$143
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$120
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$93
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$91
Exact Sciences Corporation
$86
Lundbeck LLC
$79
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$78
Indivior Inc.
$77
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$71
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$49
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$46
Calliditas Therapeutics US Inc.
$44
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$44
Allergan Inc.
$42
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$39
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$38
Shire North American Group Inc
$31
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$31
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$28
Allergan, Inc.
$28
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$25
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$21
Eisai Inc.
$21
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$20
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$20
Circassia Pharmaceuticals Inc
$17
Radius Health, Inc.
$17
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$16
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$15
Dexcom, Inc.
$14
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$14
Orexo US, Inc.
$12
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$10
Top 3 companies account for 33.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIRSUPRA · AJOVY · ANORO · AUSTEDO · Aimovig · Auvelity · BELSOMRA · BREZTRI · BREZTRI AEROSPHERE · BYDUREON · CHANTIX · COMIRNATY · Cologuard Collection Kit · Corlanor · Dayvigo · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · EVENITY · Edarbi · Edarbyclor · FARXIGA · GARDASIL 9 · Heplisav-B · INJECTAFER · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · KRYSTEXXA · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · Kerendia · Korlym · LATUDA · LEQVIO · LYRICA · Livalo · MOUNJARO · MYRBETRIQ · NATPARA · NURTEC ODT · Otezla · Ozempic · PNEUMOVAX 23 · PREMARIN · PREVNAR - 13 · PREVNAR 13 · PREVNAR 20 · Prolia · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · REXULTI · Repatha · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · SUBLOCADE · SYMBICORT · Saxenda · TARPEYO · TOUJEO · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TRULICITY · TUDORZA PRESSAIR · Tresiba · Trintellix · Tymlos · UBRELVY · VRAYLAR · Vascepa · Victoza · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · Xultophy 100/3.6 · Yupelri · ZENPEP · Zubsolv
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. Total industry engagement is in the top 8% for internal medicine in GA.
Geographic Context
Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
34
Per 100K population
126.7
County median income
$52,264
Nearest hospital
STEPHENS COUNTY HOSPITAL
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. Yates is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in GA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 8% of GA peers, with 20 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. Yates experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Yates performed 898 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. Yates receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Yates received a total of $9,530 from 50 companies across 626 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. Yates's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in Toccoa?
Dr. Yates'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. Yates) 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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