Dr. Leon Herndon, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Herndon
Dr. Leon Herndon is an ophthalmology specialist in Durham, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Herndon performed 2,581 Medicare services across 2,178 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Herndon received a total of $199,155 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 219 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in ophthalmology. 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. Herndon 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
663 | $77 | $255 |
| Visual field test, extended A test that maps your complete field of vision to detect blind spots or peripheral vision loss. Extended testing provides a more detailed assessment than a standard visual field exam. |
469 | $40 | $329 |
| Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan) Imaging of the optic nerve. |
326 | $24 | $171 |
| Eye exam, established patient, focused A limited examination of the visual system for an existing patient. The provider focuses on a specific eye-related concern or symptom. |
165 | $56 | $201 |
| Office visit for established patient An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present. |
110 | $14 | $49 |
| Eye drainage system examination An examination of the internal drainage system of the eye to assess how fluid flows and drains from the eye. |
105 | $20 | $78 |
| Corneal topography and eye depth measurement This procedure measures the curvature and depth of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. |
87 | $16 | $170 |
| Insertion of drug delivery implant into tear duct A small implant containing medication is placed into the tear duct of the eye to deliver drugs directly to the eye over time. |
81 | $12 | $143 |
| Ultrasound scan of cornea to determine thickness An ultrasound procedure used to measure the thickness of the cornea. |
71 | $8 | $70 |
| Measurement of corneal pressure | 68 | $8 | $61 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 65 | $148 | $490 |
| Cataract surgery with lens implant Surgical removal of the clouded natural lens of the eye and replacement with an artificial prosthetic lens to restore vision. |
63 | $270 | $3,674 |
| Eye fluid drainage device insertion A surgical procedure to insert a device into the eye to help drain excess fluid and reduce pressure. |
58 | $757 | $3,870 |
| Laser removal of recurring cataract A laser procedure to remove a recurring cataract within the lens capsule. |
42 | $267 | $2,067 |
| Eye shunt creation with tissue graft A surgical procedure to create a drainage pathway for eye fluid using a tissue graft to improve fluid flow. |
36 | $807 | $3,148 |
| Glaucoma drainage tract creation A surgical procedure to create a new pathway for fluid to drain from the eye, helping to lower pressure and treat glaucoma. |
33 | $798 | $2,849 |
| Retinal imaging (OCT scan) This procedure involves imaging the retina to visualize its structure. It is used to examine the back of the eye. |
32 | $28 | $172 |
| Eye wound repair or revision Surgical repair or revision of an operative wound on the eye. |
25 | $374 | $2,035 |
| Cataract removal with artificial lens and drainage device insertion Surgical removal of the eye's natural lens followed by the insertion of an artificial lens and a drainage device into the front chamber of the eye. |
22 | $410 | $2,543 |
| 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. |
17 | $52 | $172 |
| 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. |
17 | $111 | $344 |
| Revision of eye fluid drainage shunt with graft A surgical procedure to repair or modify an existing shunt used to drain fluid from the eye, involving the use of a graft. |
14 | $595 | $2,416 |
| Laser repair to improve eye fluid flow A laser procedure used to enhance the drainage of fluid within the eye. |
12 | $186 | $2,771 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (67%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 2% for ophthalmology in NC.
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. Herndon is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 2% 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
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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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