Dr. Howard Marks, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Marks
Dr. Howard Marks is a thoracic surgery specialist in Wilmington, NC, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Marks performed 398 Medicare services across 397 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Marks received a total of $10,598 from 32 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 150 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in thoracic 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. Marks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endoscopic vein harvest A surgical procedure to remove a vein using an endoscope, which is a thin, lighted tube inserted through small incisions. |
65 | $12 | $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. |
48 | $39 | $158 |
| Left atrial appendage exclusion Surgical closure of the left atrial appendage of the heart, performed as part of another chest procedure. |
47 | $98 | $351 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft, 1 graft Surgery to create a new route for blood to flow around a blocked coronary artery using a vein or artery graft. |
42 | $140 | $452 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft, 2 grafts using arteries A surgical procedure to restore blood flow to the heart by creating bypasses using two arterial grafts. |
40 | $1,636 | $5,673 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft, 1 artery Surgical procedure to bypass a blocked coronary artery using a graft from another artery. This restores blood flow to the heart muscle. |
33 | $1,368 | $4,948 |
| Transcatheter aortic valve replacement via femoral artery A minimally invasive procedure to replace a diseased aortic heart valve using a catheter inserted through the skin and femoral artery. |
30 | $567 | $3,088 |
| Endoscopic artery harvest from arm for heart bypass This procedure involves removing an artery from the arm using an endoscope to be used as a graft for heart bypass surgery. |
29 | $130 | $463 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft, 2 grafts A surgical procedure to restore blood flow to the heart by creating bypasses using two vein or artery grafts. |
23 | $309 | $963 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 16 | $170 | $614 |
| Harvest of arm artery for heart bypass Surgical removal of a segment of artery from the arm to be used as a graft in a heart bypass procedure. |
13 | $140 | $665 |
| Extensive heart surgery on heart-lung machine Major surgical procedure to repair or reconstruct the right upper chamber of the heart while the patient is connected to a heart-lung machine. |
12 | $639 | $1,914 |
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 (99%) 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. Marks is a cardiac surgery specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 19% 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
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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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