Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Stephen Walker, M.D.
Family Medicine · Elkin, 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. Walker 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. Walker
Dr. Stephen Walker is a family medicine specialist in Elkin, NC, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Walker performed 1,777 Medicare services across 1,069 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Walker received a total of $16,557 from 64 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1125 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. 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. Walker 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 15% volume in NC
$16,557 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,777
Medicare services
Top 15% in NC for family medicine
1,069
Unique beneficiaries
$38
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~89 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
332 | $57 | $151 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
214 | $8 | $25 |
| 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. |
185 | $84 | $213 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
167 | $10 | $30 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
155 | $9 | $35 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
122 | $121 | $137 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
116 | $3 | $15 |
| Stool test for blood to screen for colon tumors A test that analyzes a stool sample to detect hidden blood, which is used to screen for colon tumors. |
95 | $4 | $15 |
| Influenza virus detection test A laboratory test that uses an immunoassay technique to detect the presence of the influenza virus through direct visual observation. |
65 | $15 | $27 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
53 | $5 | $24 |
| Urine microalbumin test A laboratory test that measures the amount of a specific protein called microalbumin in a urine sample. This analysis helps assess kidney function. |
52 | $6 | $30 |
| SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay test A laboratory test using immunoassay techniques to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. |
34 | $32 | $68 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
30 | $39 | $80 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) A test that uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone mineral density in the hip, pelvis, and spine. It helps assess bone strength and risk of fractures. |
26 | $35 | $200 |
| Routine 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) A test that records the electrical activity of the heart using at least 12 leads to produce a tracing. |
25 | $5 | $50 |
| Assessment of emotional or behavioral problems An evaluation to identify and understand emotional or behavioral issues. This process involves reviewing symptoms and behaviors to determine the nature of the concerns. |
24 | $2 | $8 |
| Transitional care management services, moderate complexity Services provided to coordinate care during the transition from an inpatient or other facility setting back to the community. This includes follow-up and management of a health problem of at least moderate complexity. |
22 | $137 | $175 |
| Transitional care management, high complexity Coordination of care for a patient transitioning from a short-term hospital stay or other facility to home or another care setting. This service addresses a high-complexity medical problem. |
22 | $196 | $248 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
22 | $8 | $35 |
| Expiratory airflow and volume test A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed at which you can breathe it out. It evaluates lung function by assessing expiratory airflow and volume. |
16 | $19 | $55 |
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 ↗$16,557
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,365/year across 7 years
Top 2% in NC for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
64
Companies
1,125
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
$16,436 (99.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$121 (0.7%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,525
2023
$2,433
2022
$2,440
2021
$3,098
2020
$2,267
2019
$2,069
2018
$1,724
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$394
Novo Nordisk Inc
$264
Amgen Inc.
$230
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$219
ABBVIE INC.
$199
PFIZER INC.
$184
Lilly USA, LLC
$178
Corium, LLC
$151
Abbott Laboratories
$87
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$69
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$62
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$62
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$60
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$51
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$47
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$46
Exact Sciences Corporation
$45
Dexcom, Inc.
$28
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$28
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$25
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$21
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
Seqirus USA Inc
$15
ALK-Abello, Inc
$15
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$14
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$14
Top 3 companies account for 35.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novo Nordisk Inc
$2,564
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$1,740
Amgen Inc.
$1,222
PFIZER INC.
$1,112
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$938
Lilly USA, LLC
$922
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$778
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$631
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$558
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$438
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$340
ABBVIE INC.
$333
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$299
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$298
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$288
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$262
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$250
AbbVie Inc.
$243
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$243
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$230
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$195
Abbott Laboratories
$189
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$186
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$184
Corium, LLC
$174
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$148
AbbVie, Inc.
$129
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$127
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$98
Exact Sciences Corporation
$95
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$94
PREVENTRIC DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
$77
Boston Scientific Corporation
$75
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$66
Eisai Inc.
$63
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$62
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$61
Dexcom, Inc.
$56
Allergan, Inc.
$55
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$51
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$51
Radius Health, Inc.
$50
Ironshore Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$47
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$45
Avion Pharmaceuticals
$44
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$40
Tris Pharma Inc
$40
IRONWOOD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
$40
Quidel Corporation
$35
Genentech USA, Inc.
$32
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$29
Seqirus USA Inc
$28
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$27
EISAI INC.
$23
Allergan Inc.
$21
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$21
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$17
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$16
ALK-Abello, Inc
$15
Neurelis, Inc.
$15
Biogen, Inc.
$13
Shire North American Group Inc
$13
Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc.
$12
Aytu Bioscience, Inc
$12
Top 3 companies account for 33.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIMOVIG · AIRSUPRA · AJOVY · ANORO · ANORO ELLIPTA · Aciphex · Aimovig · AirDuo Digihaler · Androgel · Azstarys · BASAGLAR · BELSOMRA · BEXSERO · BEYFORTUS · BPRO BT AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM · BREO · BREZTRI · Balcoltra · Belviq · CAPLYTA · CHANTIX · COLOGUARD · COMIRNATY · CONTRAVE · Cologuard Collection Kit · Crysvita · DUZALLO · Dayvigo · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · Dyanavel XR · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · EUCRISA · EVENITY · FARXIGA · FLUMIST QUADRIVALENT · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · Fluad Quadrivalent · Flucelvax · FreeStyle Libre 2 · GARDASIL · GARDASIL 9 · GEMTESA · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GVOKE HYPOPEN · GVOKE PFS · General - Pain Management · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · JORNAY PM · Jornay PM 20mg capsules (Bottle of 100) · Kerendia · LEQVIO · LINZESS · LONHALA MAGNAIR · LYRICA · Leqembi · Linzess · Livalo · MENQUADFI · MOUNJARO · MYRBETRIQ · Motegrity · Myrbetriq · NURTEC ODT · NUZYRA · OXTELLAR XR · Otezla · Ozempic · PAXLOVID · PEDIARIX · PNEUMOVAX 23 · PREVNAR 13 · PREVNAR 20 · PROQUAD · Prolia · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · RETACRIT · REXULTI · RYBELSUS · Ragwitek · Repatha · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SPINRAZA · SPIRIVA RESPIMAT · STIOLTO · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · SYMBICORT · SYNTHROID · Saxenda · Solana · Synthroid · TOUJEO · TRADJENTA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TRULICITY · TRUMENBA · Tresiba · Trintellix · Tymlos · UBRELVY · Utibron · VALTOCO · VAXELIS · VOQUEZNA · VRAYLAR · VYVANSE · Vascepa · Veozah · Victoza · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · XIGDUO · Xofluza · Xultophy 100/3.6 · YUPELRI · Yupelri · ZENPEP
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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 2% for family medicine in NC.
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
92
Per 100K population
128.8
County median income
$56,095
Nearest hospital
HUGH CHATHAM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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 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. Walker is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 15% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 2% of NC peers, with 20 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. Walker experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Walker performed 332 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 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. Walker receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Walker received a total of $16,557 from 64 companies across 1,125 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. Walker's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Elkin?
Dr. Walker's average Medicare payment per service is $38. 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. Walker) 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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