Medicare Enrolled
Dr. William Townsend, M.D.
Urology Physician · Charlotte, NC
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. Townsend 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. Townsend
Dr. William Townsend is an urology physician in Charlotte, NC, with 14 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Townsend performed 3,155 Medicare services across 1,651 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Townsend received a total of $6,283 from 34 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 156 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in urology physician. 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. Townsend 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.
✓ 14 years in practice
▲ Top 27% volume in NC
$6,283 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,155
Medicare services
Top 27% in NC for urology physician
1,651
Unique beneficiaries
$78
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~225 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leuprolide acetate (for depot suspension), 7.5 mg | 1,044 | $134 | $786 |
| 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. |
337 | $22 | $87 |
| 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. |
337 | $84 | $158 |
| 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. |
335 | $60 | $110 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
307 | $8 | $10 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
274 | $3 | $15 |
| Cystourethroscopy A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract. |
132 | $172 | $583 |
| Imaging of urinary tract with contrast An imaging test of the urinary tract performed after a contrast agent is injected to enhance visibility of the structures. |
59 | $18 | $264 |
| Bladder ultrasound after voiding An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder. |
50 | $7 | $45 |
| 3D radiographic procedure A radiographic imaging technique that creates three-dimensional representations of internal structures. |
40 | $7 | $202 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
39 | $129 | $231 |
| 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. |
32 | $107 | $1,488 |
| Radiologist review of MRI guidance for needle placement A radiologist reviews the MRI images to guide the placement of a needle. This step ensures accurate positioning during a medical procedure. |
31 | $52 | $875 |
| CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis using contrast dye before and after administration to visualize internal structures. |
22 | $193 | $798 |
| 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. |
21 | $108 | $263 |
| CT scan of abdomen and pelvis, without contrast A computed tomography scan that creates detailed images of the abdominal and pelvic organs. The procedure is performed without the use of intravenous contrast dye. |
19 | $75 | $550 |
| Office visit for established patient An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present. |
18 | $16 | $41 |
| Injection, garamycin, gentamicin, up to 80 mg | 16 | $2 | $7 |
| Transrectal ultrasound of the pelvis An ultrasound imaging procedure where a probe is inserted into the rectum to visualize pelvic structures. |
15 | $90 | $295 |
| 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. |
15 | $69 | $185 |
| Prostate gland biopsy A procedure to remove small samples of tissue from the prostate gland for laboratory examination. |
12 | $159 | $626 |
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.
1.0% high complexity
17.8% medium
81.2% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$6,283
Total received (2021-2024)
Avg $1,571/year across 4 years
Top 25% in NC for urology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
34
Companies
156
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
$6,283 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,512
2023
$1,909
2022
$2,593
2021
$269
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$333
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$295
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$121
ABBVIE INC.
$109
Olympus America Inc.
$102
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$99
Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited
$84
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$83
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$61
Teleflex LLC
$45
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$40
PFIZER INC.
$38
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$23
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$19
Tempus AI, Inc
$17
Medtronic, Inc.
$16
ACCORD HEALTHCARE, INC.
$15
Ambu Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 49.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2021-2024) ›
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$897
Boston Scientific Corporation
$805
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$525
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$463
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$443
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$368
Medtronic, Inc.
$360
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$281
PFIZER INC.
$212
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$165
AbbVie Inc.
$145
ABBVIE INC.
$128
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$127
Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$125
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$125
UROGEN PHARMA, INC.
$124
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$121
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$119
Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited
$118
Olympus America Inc.
$102
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$88
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$61
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$60
ACCORD HEALTHCARE, INC.
$59
UROVANT SCIENCES INC
$48
Teleflex LLC
$45
Myovant Sciences Inc.
$33
TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$30
UroGen Pharma, Inc.
$24
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$19
Foundation Medicine, Inc.
$18
Tempus AI, Inc
$17
Hollister Incorporated
$15
Ambu Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 35.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AMS 700 CXR RTE Kit · AQUABEAM ROBOTIC SYSTEM · AQUABEAM SYSTEM · AdVance XP · Axumin · BOTOX · CAMCEVI · CLARIX · DA VINCI SP · Da Vinci Surgical System · ELIGARD · ERLEADA · GEMTESA · General - Erectile Dysfunction · General - Male SUI · INTERSTIM · Infyna Chic · JELMYTO · LUPRON DEPOT · LYNPARZA · LithoVue · Myrbetriq · Nubeqa · ORGOVYX · PLUVICTO · POSLUMA · PROLARIS · PROVENGE · PYLARIFY · STRAVIX · UROLIFT · XIAFLEX · XTANDI · Xtandi · YONSA · iTIND 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.
Geographic Context
Urology physicians within 10 mi
81
Per 100K population
7.2
County median income
$83,765
Nearest hospital
CAROLINAS MEDICAL CENTER/BEHAV HEALTH
1.8 mi
1.8 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. Townsend is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 27% in NC), 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. Townsend experienced with leuprolide acetate (for depot suspension), 7.5 mg?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Townsend performed 1,044 leuprolide acetate (for depot suspension), 7.5 mg 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. Townsend receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Townsend received a total of $6,283 from 34 companies across 156 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. Townsend's costs compare to other urology physicians in Charlotte?
Dr. Townsend's average Medicare payment per service is $78. 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. Townsend) 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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