Dr. Mindy Merritt, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Merritt
Dr. Mindy Merritt is a surgery specialist in Morehead City, NC, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Merritt performed 663 Medicare services across 641 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Merritt received a total of $547 from 11 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 16 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. 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. Merritt 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 (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. |
96 | $63 | $143 |
| 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. |
53 | $116 | $265 |
| 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. |
43 | $130 | $282 |
| 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. |
41 | $96 | $200 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
38 | $36 | $100 |
| Partial removal of breast | 36 | $478 | $1,475 |
| Deep underarm lymph node biopsy or removal A procedure to remove or sample deep lymph nodes located in the underarm area for examination. |
34 | $169 | $1,063 |
| X-ray of surgical specimen | 34 | $12 | $42 |
| Intraoperative lymph node imaging Imaging performed during surgery to visualize lymph nodes. |
33 | $104 | $490 |
| Breast biopsy with ultrasound-guided localization device placement This procedure involves taking a tissue sample from a breast growth and placing a marker device to locate it, guided by ultrasound imaging. |
31 | $387 | $1,175 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
26 | $75 | $185 |
| Breast lesion localization with ultrasound guidance A device is placed in the breast to mark a specific growth using ultrasound guidance. This procedure helps identify the exact location of the lesion for further treatment or removal. |
22 | $33 | $598 |
| Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy, first lesion A biopsy procedure where a thin needle is used to collect tissue samples from a growth, guided by ultrasound imaging. This code applies to the first lesion or mass sampled during the session. |
21 | $78 | $335 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an established patient with straightforward or low-level medical decision making. The visit requires at least 25 minutes of time spent on the day of service. |
20 | $39 | $101 |
| Central venous port insertion A surgical procedure to place a small reservoir under the skin for long-term access to the bloodstream. The device is connected to a vein to allow for repeated medication administration or blood draws. |
19 | $207 | $3,000 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for central vein access device Use of live X-ray imaging to guide the placement or removal of a central vein access device. |
17 | $13 | $133 |
| Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening, high risk A colonoscopy performed to screen for colorectal cancer in individuals identified as being at high risk for the disease. |
17 | $161 | $1,010 |
| Colonoscopy with biopsy A procedure to collect tissue samples from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities or disease. |
15 | $144 | $1,080 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
15 | $100 | $240 |
| Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination. |
14 | $198 | $1,485 |
| Simple complete removal of breast Surgical removal of the entire breast tissue. |
13 | $819 | $2,319 |
| Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening A colonoscopy performed to screen for colorectal cancer in individuals who are not at high risk for the disease. |
13 | $176 | $1,010 |
| Intraoperative ultrasound guidance Use of ultrasound imaging during a surgical procedure to help guide the surgeon's actions. |
12 | $47 | $194 |
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 ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
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. Merritt is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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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