Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Brandon Howard, PHD

Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program · Durham, NC
Practice pattern: Cardiac Imaging — Practice with significant diagnostic imaging and stress testing
Consulting-driven
2100 ERWIN RD, Durham, NC 27705
9196848111
In practice since 2007 (19 years)
NPI: 1912101841 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. 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 →
Are you Dr. Howard? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Howard

Dr. Brandon Howard is a student in an organized health care education/training program specialist in Durham, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Howard performed 1,024 Medicare services across 943 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Howard received a total of $237,027 from 3 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 102 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in student in an organized health care education/training program. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. 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 17% volume in NC $237,027 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,024
Medicare services
Top 17% in NC for student in an organized health care education/training program
943
Unique beneficiaries
$58
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~54 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
Whole body bone and joint nuclear medicine scan
A nuclear medicine imaging test that uses a radioactive tracer to create pictures of the entire skeleton and joints. This scan helps evaluate bone health and detect abnormalities throughout the body.
 281 $28 $208
Nuclear medicine scan from skull base to mid-thigh with CT
A nuclear medicine imaging study covering the area from the base of the skull to the middle of the thighs, performed alongside a CT scan.
 276 $82 $525
Whole body nuclear medicine scan with CT
A combined imaging procedure using nuclear medicine and CT scans to visualize the entire body.
 178 $84 $525
Radioactive drug therapy through a vein
Administration of a radioactive medication directly into the bloodstream via an intravenous line.
 44 $68 $433
SPECT/CT scan, single area
A nuclear medicine imaging study that combines single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with a concurrent CT scan to create detailed images of a single body area.
 36 $49 $286
Lung ventilation and perfusion scan
A nuclear medicine test that uses radioactive tracers to evaluate both air flow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion) in the lungs.
 35 $35 $190
Nuclear medicine stomach emptying study
A nuclear medicine test used to assess how quickly the stomach empties its contents.
 22 $27 $186
Nuclear medicine study with CT scan
A nuclear medicine imaging test performed on a specific body area combined with a CT scan.
 21 $78 $525
3D radiographic procedure
A radiographic imaging technique that creates three-dimensional representations of internal structures.
 17 $7 $53
CT scan of chest with contrast
A computed tomography scan of the chest using a contrast dye to enhance the visibility of internal structures.
 16 $40 $374
CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast
A CT scan that uses dye to create detailed images of the abdomen and pelvis. This imaging test helps doctors examine internal organs and structures in these areas.
 16 $67 $595
Nuclear medicine kidney study with drug administration
A nuclear medicine test that evaluates kidney blood flow and function using a radioactive tracer and drug administration.
 16 $38 $284
Nuclear medicine scan, skull base to mid-thigh
A nuclear medicine imaging study that captures images from the base of the skull down to the middle of the thigh.
 15 $64 $525
Bone scan with multiple time points
A nuclear medicine imaging test that captures images of the bones at various intervals to assess bone health and detect abnormalities.
 14 $32 $246
Whole body nuclear medicine scan
A diagnostic imaging test that uses a small amount of radioactive material to create pictures of the entire body. The procedure helps doctors evaluate how organs and tissues are functioning.
 14 $70 $525
SPECT nuclear medicine scan, 1 area
A nuclear medicine imaging test using a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan to create detailed images of one specific area of the body.
 12 $35 $406
Lymphatic system nuclear medicine study
A nuclear medicine imaging test used to evaluate the structure and function of the lymphatic system.
 11 $31 $279
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.
3.4% high complexity
89.3% medium
7.3% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2021 ↗
$237,027
Total received (2018-2021)
Avg $59,257/year across 4 years
Top 0% in NC for student in an organized health care education/training program
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
3
Companies
102
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$236,968 (100.0%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$59 (0.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2021
$146,168
2020
$88,862
2019
$1,938
2018
$59

Payments by company (2021)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$90,252
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$55,915
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2021 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2021) ›
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$146,715
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$90,252
Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited
$59
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Axumin · KEYTRUDA · LENVIMA · MK-7339 · V937
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 (100%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 0% for student in an organized health care education/training program in NC.

Looking for a student in an organized health care education/training program specialist in Durham?
Compare student in an organized health care education/training programs in the Durham area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Student in an organized health care education/training programs within 10 mi
2,922
Per 100K population
887.1
County median income
$79,501
Nearest hospital
DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
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 2021
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 cardiac imaging specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 17% in NC), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 0% 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. Howard experienced with whole body bone and joint nuclear medicine scan?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Howard performed 281 whole body bone and joint nuclear medicine scan 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 $237,027 from 3 companies across 102 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 student in an organized health care education/training programs in Durham?
Dr. Howard'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. 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.

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 →