Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Robert Foster, M.D.
Family Medicine · Greensboro, 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. Foster 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. Foster
Dr. Robert Foster is a family medicine specialist in Greensboro, NC, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Foster performed 1,755 Medicare services across 848 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Foster received a total of $1,757 from 30 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 96 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. Foster 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
$1,757 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,755
Medicare services
Top 15% in NC for family medicine
848
Unique beneficiaries
$54
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~88 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug screening test A laboratory test that uses a chemistry analyzer to detect the presence of drugs in a sample. |
351 | $60 | $120 |
| 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. |
327 | $81 | $227 |
| Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS. |
259 | $109 | $214 |
| 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. |
79 | $60 | $155 |
| Blood glucose test using hand-held instrument A test that measures the level of sugar in the blood using a portable device. The result helps monitor blood glucose levels. |
67 | $3 | $7 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
44 | $8 | $11 |
| 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. |
41 | $8 | $14 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
40 | $29 | $61 |
| Parathyroid hormone level test A blood test that measures the amount of parathyroid hormone in your body. This hormone helps regulate calcium levels in the blood and bones. |
40 | $40 | $85 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
39 | $10 | $18 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
38 | $9 | $16 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
38 | $16 | $30 |
| Total T3 thyroid hormone test A blood test that measures the total amount of triiodothyronine (T3) hormone in your body. T3 is a thyroid hormone that helps regulate metabolism and energy levels. |
38 | $14 | $25 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
37 | $13 | $28 |
| Smoking cessation counseling, 4-10 minutes A brief counseling session focused on helping patients quit smoking and tobacco use. The provider spends 4 to 10 minutes discussing strategies and support for cessation. |
35 | $13 | $30 |
| Uric acid level test A blood test that measures the level of uric acid in your body. Uric acid is a waste product formed when the body breaks down purines. |
34 | $4 | $8 |
| Rheumatoid factor level | 34 | $6 | $12 |
| 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. |
33 | $11 | $37 |
| Annual intensive behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease, 15 minutes A yearly, in-person session focused on intensive behavioral therapy to help manage cardiovascular disease. The session lasts for 15 minutes and is conducted with the patient individually. |
29 | $25 | $46 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
28 | $28 | $85 |
| Annual alcohol misuse screening, 5 to 15 minutes | 28 | $18 | $32 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
27 | $10 | $18 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using 4 to 5 different views to visualize the bones and structures in that area. |
25 | $35 | $116 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints. |
22 | $22 | $77 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
22 | $119 | $210 |
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 ↗$1,757
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $251/year across 7 years
Top 22% in NC for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
30
Companies
96
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
$1,757 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$372
2023
$509
2022
$298
2021
$60
2020
$128
2019
$378
2018
$11
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Genentech, Inc.
$150
Indivior Inc.
$54
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$43
Amgen Inc.
$31
ABBVIE INC.
$29
Novo Nordisk Inc
$19
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$17
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$16
PFIZER INC.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 66.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novo Nordisk Inc
$276
ABBVIE INC.
$153
Genentech, Inc.
$150
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$125
Amgen Inc.
$94
Lilly USA, LLC
$92
PFIZER INC.
$83
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$74
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$74
Masimo Corporation
$73
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$64
Indivior Inc.
$54
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$53
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$49
Genentech USA, Inc.
$43
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$36
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$35
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$30
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$26
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$22
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$20
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$19
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$17
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$16
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$15
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$14
Exact Sciences Corporation
$14
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$14
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$12
Allergan Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 32.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(8874) inCourage · Aimovig · Belbuca · CAPLYTA · COLOGUARD DNA CAPTURE REAGENTS · COMIRNATY · CONTRAVE · Cologuard Collection Kit · EMGALITY · FARXIGA · Horizant · INGREZZA · LINZESS · Linzess · MOUNJARO · NALOCET · NURTEC ODT · Nalocet · Otezla · Ozempic · PAXLOVID · QELBREE · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · REXULTI · Rybelsus · SET and rainbow SET · SUBLOCADE · SYMBICORT · Saxenda · TEPEZZA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TROKENDI XR · TRULICITY · Tresiba · UBRELVY · VIBERZI · VRAYLAR · Vabysmo · Vascepa · Wegovy · XIFAXAN · XTAMPZA · Xofluza · Yupelri · ZTLido
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
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
357
Per 100K population
65.7
County median income
$66,027
Nearest hospital
MOSES H. CONE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, THE
7.0 mi
7.0 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. Foster is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 15% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Foster experienced with drug screening test?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Foster performed 351 drug screening 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. Foster receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Foster received a total of $1,757 from 30 companies across 96 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. Foster's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Greensboro?
Dr. Foster's average Medicare payment per service is $54. 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. Foster) 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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