Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Tamera Hixon, MD

Pain Medicine · Lumberton, NC
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
2905 N ELM ST, Lumberton, NC 28358
9107388154
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1417937665 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. Hixon 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 →
Are you Dr. Hixon? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Hixon

Dr. Tamera Hixon is a pain medicine specialist in Lumberton, NC, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hixon performed 182 Medicare services across 177 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hixon received a total of $113 from 2 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 4 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain 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. Hixon 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 ▲ 182 Medicare services $113 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
182
Medicare services
Bottom 48% in NC for pain medicine
177
Unique beneficiaries
$97
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~9 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
Anesthesia for heart electrical activity assessment
Administration of anesthesia during a procedure to evaluate the electrical activity of the heart.
 36 $182 $1,654
Arterial line insertion
A tube is inserted into an artery through the skin to allow for blood sampling or infusion.
 30 $36 $236
Anesthesia for x-ray or radiation therapy
Administration of anesthesia during x-ray or radiation therapy procedures.
 27 $76 $693
Anesthesia for endoscopic procedure on esophagus, stomach, or upper small bowel
Administration of anesthesia during an endoscopic procedure involving the esophagus, stomach, or upper small bowel.
 24 $61 $545
Anesthesia for oral procedure
Administration of anesthesia for a surgical procedure performed on the mouth.
 14 $75 $702
Anesthesia for large bowel endoscopy
Administration of anesthesia during a procedure to examine the large bowel using an endoscope.
 14 $61 $596
Anesthesia for extensive spine surgery
Administration of anesthesia during major surgical procedures involving the spine.
 13 $243 $2,204
Anesthesia for urinary system procedure via urethra
Administration of anesthesia for a surgical procedure on the urinary system performed through the urethra.
 13 $52 $499
Anesthesia for lower leg, ankle, or foot bone procedure
Administration of anesthesia during surgical procedures involving the bones of the lower leg, ankle, or foot.
 11 $61 $758
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.
7.1% high complexity
22.5% medium
70.3% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2022 ↗
$113
Total received (2018-2022)
Avg $38/year across 3 years
Bottom 22% in NC for pain medicine
2
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.

Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$113 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2022
$63
2019
$19
2018
$32

Payments by company (2022)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Merz North America, Inc.
$63
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2022 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2022) ›
Merz North America, Inc.
$63
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$51
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BRIDION
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 pain medicine specialist in Lumberton?
Compare pain medicines in the Lumberton area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse pain medicines nearby

Geographic Context

Pain medicines within 10 mi
4
Per 100K population
3.4
County median income
$40,318
Nearest hospital
SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
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 2022
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. Hixon is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, 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. Hixon experienced with anesthesia for heart electrical activity assessment?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hixon performed 36 anesthesia for heart electrical activity assessment 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. Hixon receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hixon received a total of $113 from 2 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. Hixon's costs compare to other pain medicines in Lumberton?
Dr. Hixon's average Medicare payment per service is $97. 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. Hixon) 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 →