Medicare Enrolled

Dr. David Howell, M.D., PH.D.

Anatomic Pathology Physician · Durham, NC
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
3712 PATHOLOGY, Durham, NC 27710
9192860411
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1699876102 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. Howell 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. Howell

Dr. David Howell is an anatomic pathology physician in Durham, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Howell performed 725 Medicare services across 338 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Howell received a total of $1,549 from 3 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 4 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in anatomic pathology physician. 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. Howell 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 ▲ 725 Medicare services $1,549 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
725
Medicare services
Bottom 38% in NC for anatomic pathology physician
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
338
Unique beneficiaries
$20
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~38 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
Additional antibody stain test
An additional laboratory test using a single antibody stain to evaluate specific markers.
 183 $22 $112
Special stain test for organisms
A laboratory test using special stains on tissue slides to identify microorganisms. The process includes the technical preparation of the slides and a professional interpretation of the results.
 163 $18 $67
Special tissue stain and interpretation
A laboratory test using special stains to examine tissue samples, including the pathologist's review and written report of the findings.
 162 $9 $36
Tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity
A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This intermediate complexity procedure involves specialized techniques to identify abnormalities in the tissue.
 133 $25 $164
Initial single antibody stain evaluation
A laboratory test that uses a single antibody stain to evaluate specific proteins or markers in a sample.
 51 $25 $124
Electron microscopy for diagnosis
A laboratory test that uses an electron microscope to examine tissue or cell samples at a very high magnification for diagnostic purposes.
 33 $53 $500
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 ↗
$1,549
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $387/year across 4 years
Top 30% in NC for anatomic pathology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
3
Companies
4
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
$1,500 (96.8%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$49 (3.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$14
2023
$14
2021
$1,500
2019
$21

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$14
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2019-2024) ›
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$1,500
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$29
Novo Nordisk Inc
$21
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Ozempic
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 (97%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.

Looking for an anatomic pathology physician in Durham?
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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. Howell is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement, 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. Howell experienced with additional antibody stain test?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Howell performed 183 additional antibody stain test 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. Howell receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Howell received a total of $1,549 from 3 companies across 4 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. Howell's costs compare to other anatomic pathology physicians in Durham?
Dr. Howell's average Medicare payment per service is $20. 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. Howell) 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 →