Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Colin Bird, MD

Surgery · Asheville, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
60 LIVINGSTON ST, Asheville, NC 28801
8283785600
In practice since 2007 (19 years)
NPI: 1497950927 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. Bird 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. Bird

Dr. Colin Bird is a surgery specialist in Asheville, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Bird performed 395 Medicare services across 380 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Bird received a total of $39,110 from 11 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 92 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. 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. Bird 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 22% volume in NC $39,110 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
395
Medicare services
Top 22% in NC for surgery
380
Unique beneficiaries
$98
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~21 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
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.
87 $119 $476
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.
61 $60 $206
Anoscopy
A diagnostic exam of the anus using a thin, lighted tube called an endoscope to look inside.
57 $87 $249
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.
57 $79 $311
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.
20 $93 $306
Vein injection to assess skin graft or flap blood flow
An agent is injected into a vein to evaluate the blood flow within a skin graft or flap.
17 $40 $320
Sacral nerve stimulator electrode insertion
A procedure to place an electrode array in the sacral area to deliver electrical stimulation to the nerves.
15 $230 $2,172
Insertion of peripheral or gastric neurostimulator generator
A surgical procedure to implant the pulse generator device for a neurostimulator system. The generator is placed under the skin to deliver electrical impulses to nerves or the stomach.
15 $61 $610
External hemorrhoid removal by rubber banding
A procedure to remove external hemorrhoids using rubber bands to cut off blood supply. The affected tissue is tied off and eventually falls off.
14 $207 $742
Anoscopy with magnification and chemical enhancement
A diagnostic exam of the anus using an endoscope with magnification and a chemical agent to enhance visualization.
14 $97 $459
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.
14 $39 $124
Colonoscopy
A procedure to examine the rectum and lower large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera.
13 $93 $427
Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare
This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination.
11 $197 $973
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 ↗
$39,110
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $5,587/year across 7 years
Top 6% in NC for surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
11
Companies
92
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$34,153 (87.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$4,957 (12.7%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$17
2023
$3,310
2022
$5,033
2021
$7,313
2020
$7,456
2019
$14,661
2018
$1,319

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Axonics, Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$23,954
THD America, Inc.
$12,240
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$926
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$865
THD AMERICA, INC.
$419
Axonics, Inc.
$185
Ethicon US, LLC
$154
Stryker Corporation
$110
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$103
BAXTER HEALTHCARE
$86
Applied Medical Resources Corporation
$67
Top 3 companies account for 94.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
1588 HD 3 CHIP CAMERA · Axonics · DAVINCI XI · Da Vinci Surgical System · ECHELON FLEX Stapler · Enseal X1 · GELPOINT PATH · GORE BIO-A Tissue Reinforcement · GORE ENFORM Preperitoneal Biomaterial · GORE SYNECOR Biomaterial · INTERSTIM · PROXIMATE Family of Open Mechanical Staplers · TISSEEL
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 (87%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 6% for surgery in NC.

Looking for a surgery specialist in Asheville?
Compare surgerists in the Asheville area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Surgerists within 10 mi
69
Per 100K population
25.4
County median income
$70,578
Nearest hospital
MEMORIAL MISSION HOSPITAL AND ASHEVILLE SURGERY CE
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. Bird is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 22% in NC), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 6% of NC 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. Bird experienced with new patient office visit (45-59 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Bird performed 87 new patient office visit (45-59 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. Bird receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Bird received a total of $39,110 from 11 companies across 92 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. Bird's costs compare to other surgerists in Asheville?
Dr. Bird's average Medicare payment per service is $98. 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. Bird) 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 →