Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Johnson, DNP, FNP-C

Physician Assistant · Hickory, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1940 BRIARWOOD DR STE A, Hickory, NC 28602
8287325250
In practice since 2022 (4 years)
NPI: 1679205744 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Johnson 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. Johnson

Dr. Christopher Johnson is a physician assistant in Hickory, NC, with 4 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Johnson performed 262 Medicare services across 173 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Johnson received a total of $1,489 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 74 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in physician assistant. 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. Johnson is 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.

✓ 4 years in practice ▲ Top 45% volume in NC $1,489 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
262
Medicare services
Top 45% in NC for physician assistant
173
Unique beneficiaries
$62
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~66 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
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity
Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service.
77 $42 $210
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.
71 $79 $253
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.
46 $57 $178
New patient office visit (45-59 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter.
18 $106 $327
Hospital discharge management, 30+ min
This service covers the care provided by a physician or qualified healthcare professional on the day a patient is discharged from the hospital. It requires more than 30 minutes of total time spent on the day of discharge.
18 $64 $310
Annual alcohol misuse screening, 5 to 15 minutes 18 $15 $37
Annual wellness visit, follow-up
A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service.
14 $104 $257
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 ↗
$1,489
Total received (2023-2024)
Avg $744/year across 2 years
Top 21% in NC for physician assistant
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
20
Companies
74
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
$1,489 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$830
2023
$658

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$213
ABBVIE INC.
$133
Novo Nordisk Inc
$132
Dexcom, Inc.
$73
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$59
PFIZER INC.
$42
Lilly USA, LLC
$42
Organon Llc
$37
Abbott Laboratories
$23
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$17
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$17
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$15
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Exact Sciences Corporation
$13
Top 3 companies account for 57.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2023-2024) ›
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$275
ABBVIE INC.
$273
Novo Nordisk Inc
$224
Dexcom, Inc.
$221
Lilly USA, LLC
$69
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$59
PFIZER INC.
$56
Abbott Laboratories
$49
Organon Llc
$37
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$35
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$33
ITI, Inc.
$24
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$21
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$19
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$18
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$17
GENZYME CORPORATION
$16
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$15
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Exact Sciences Corporation
$13
Top 3 companies account for 51.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIRSUPRA · AREXVY · BREZTRI · CAPLYTA · Cologuard Collection Kit · DEXCOM G7 GSS (161) · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ETERNA · FARXIGA · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · GEMTESA · Heplisav-B · Kerendia · MOUNJARO · NEXPLANON · NURTEC ODT · Ozempic · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · Rybelsus · SOLIQUA 100/33 · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · UBRELVY · VOQUEZNA · VRAYLAR · Veozah · Wegovy · YUPELRI
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.

Looking for a physician assistant in Hickory?
Compare physician assistants in the Hickory area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse physician assistants nearby

Geographic Context

Physician assistants within 10 mi
168
Per 100K population
103.7
County median income
$64,544
Nearest hospital
CATAWBA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER
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 High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Johnson is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Johnson experienced with hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Johnson performed 77 hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity 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. Johnson receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Johnson received a total of $1,489 from 20 companies across 74 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. Johnson's costs compare to other physician assistants in Hickory?
Dr. Johnson's average Medicare payment per service is $62. 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 High for Dr. Johnson) 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 →
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 →