Medicare Enrolled
Dr. James Brien, M.D.
Urology Physician · Asheville, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Brien 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 →
Are you Dr. Brien?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Brien
Dr. James Brien is an urology physician in Asheville, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Brien performed 2,464 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Brien received a total of $4,268 from 40 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 238 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Brien 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 of NPI registration
▲ Top 34% volume in NC
$4,268 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗2,464
Medicare services
Top 34% in NC for urology physician
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$58
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
579 | $3 | $21 |
| 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. |
488 | $80 | $308 |
| 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. |
480 | $57 | $207 |
| Bladder ultrasound after voiding An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder. |
192 | $7 | $58 |
| 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. |
152 | $103 | $474 |
| Leuprolide acetate (for depot suspension), 7.5 mg | 112 | $131 | $685 |
| Cystourethroscopy A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract. |
104 | $166 | $638 |
| Abdominal X-ray, 1 view An X-ray image of the abdomen taken from a single angle to visualize internal structures. |
100 | $21 | $79 |
| Ultrasound guidance for needle placement Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
52 | $23 | $102 |
| Prostate gland biopsy A procedure to remove small samples of tissue from the prostate gland for laboratory examination. |
37 | $96 | $429 |
| Subcutaneous or intramuscular chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering anti-cancer hormonal medication through an injection into the tissue under the skin or into a muscle. |
25 | $24 | $105 |
| 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. |
21 | $72 | $308 |
| Ureteral stent insertion via endoscope A flexible tube is inserted into the ureter using an endoscope to keep the passage open and allow urine to flow from the kidney to the bladder. |
17 | $106 | $1,212 |
| Transrectal ultrasound of the pelvis An ultrasound imaging procedure where a probe is inserted into the rectum to visualize pelvic structures. |
17 | $105 | $422 |
| 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. |
17 | $36 | $124 |
| Injection of biodegradable material next to prostate A procedure involving the injection of a biodegradable substance into the tissue surrounding the prostate gland. |
16 | $118 | $496 |
| Prostate radiation therapy device placement A device is placed in the prostate to facilitate radiation therapy. This procedure involves positioning the device to aid in the delivery of radiation treatment. |
16 | $37 | $313 |
| Transurethral prostate removal with electrocautery This procedure involves removing the prostate gland through the urethra using an endoscope and an electrocautery knife to control bleeding. |
15 | $550 | $2,588 |
| Non-needle muscle activity measurement of bladder and bowel openings This procedure measures and records the electrical activity of muscles at the bladder and bowel openings without using needles. |
13 | $21 | $578 |
| Abdominal device insertion with pressure and urine flow study A procedure involving the placement of a device into the abdomen, accompanied by a study to measure pressure and urine flow rate. |
11 | $139 | $380 |
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
0.7% high complexity
14.4% medium
84.9% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$4,268
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $610/year across 7 years
Top 35% in NC for urology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
40
Companies
238
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$481
2023
$574
2022
$1,064
2021
$221
2020
$476
2019
$546
2018
$906
Payments by company (2024)
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$72
Medtronic, Inc.
$63
Endo USA, Inc.
$49
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$42
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$35
Olympus America Inc.
$31
UROGEN PHARMA, INC.
$30
ACCORD HEALTHCARE, INC.
$25
Boston Scientific Corporation
$21
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$21
Photocure Inc
$21
PROGENICS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$20
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$20
COLOPLAST CORP
$17
ABBVIE INC.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 38.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$516
AbbVie, Inc.
$482
PFIZER INC.
$418
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$358
NeoTract Inc.
$272
AbbVie Inc.
$249
Medtronic, Inc.
$215
UroGen Pharma, Inc.
$207
Boston Scientific Corporation
$195
ABBVIE INC.
$151
TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$136
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$85
Amgen Inc.
$80
Olympus America Inc.
$64
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$62
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$56
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$53
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$51
Coloplast Corp
$50
Endo USA, Inc.
$49
ACCORD HEALTHCARE, INC.
$49
Photocure Inc
$45
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$45
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$42
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$41
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$40
UROGEN PHARMA, INC.
$30
SRS Medical Systems, Inc.
$29
Avadel Specialty Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$28
Axonics, Inc.
$24
PROGENICS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$20
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$19
COLOPLAST CORP
$17
180 Medical, Inc.
$17
Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited
$17
Ambu Inc.
$17
PALETTE LIFE SCIENCES, INC.
$16
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$11
NxThera, Inc.
$11
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$1
Top 3 companies account for 33.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AVEED · Androgel · Axonics · Axumin · BOTOX · CAMCEVI · CYSVIEW · Cysview · ELIGARD · ERLEADA · Erleada · GENERAL THERAPIES · GENTLECATH · GREENLIGHT · INTERSTIM · JELMYTO · KEYTRUDA · LITHOVUE · LUPRON DEPOT · Luja Coude · Lupron · Lupron Depot · MYRBETRIQ · Myrbetriq · NURO · Noctiva · Nubeqa · OPDIVO · ORGOVYX · OTREXUP · PERCUFLEX · PREMARIN · PROVENGE · PYLARIFY · Porges Coloplast · Prolia · REZUM · Rezum · Rezum Generator · SUTENT · SWISS LITHOCLAST TRILOGY · SpaceOAR VUE System - 10mL · SpeediCath · TOVIAZ · Thiola · UroCuff · UroLift · VESICARE · XIAFLEX · XTANDI · XYOSTED · Xtandi · iTIND System
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Geographic Context
Urology physicians in nearby ZIP areas
29
County median income
$70,578
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
MEMORIAL MISSION HOSPITAL AND ASHEVILLE SURGERY CE
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | NPPES snapshot; verify current record |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | PECOS snapshot |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not included | 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. Brien is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, 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. Brien experienced with urinalysis, manual?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Brien performed 579 urinalysis, manual services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Brien receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Brien received a total of $4,268 from 40 companies across 238 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. Brien's costs compare to other urology physicians in Asheville?
Dr. Brien's average Medicare payment per service is $58. 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. Brien) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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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