Dr. Helen McDonald, FNP-BC
What this data tells you about Dr. McDonald
Dr. Helen McDonald is a family medicine - adult specialist in Albany, NY, with 9 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. McDonald performed 1,299 Medicare services across 526 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. McDonald received a total of $3,135 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 155 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine - adult. 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. McDonald 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing facility visit, moderate complexity A follow-up visit by a healthcare provider at a nursing facility for an established patient. The visit involves moderate medical decision making and takes at least 30 minutes. |
807 | $69 | $162 |
| Nursing facility visit, low complexity A daily follow-up visit for an existing patient in a nursing facility involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit requires at least 15 minutes of time if time is used to determine the level of care. |
208 | $48 | $114 |
| Nursing facility visit, established patient, straightforward A follow-up visit by a healthcare provider at a nursing facility for an established patient. The visit involves straightforward medical decision making and lasts at least 10 minutes. |
119 | $26 | $65 |
| Nursing facility discharge management, more than 30 minutes This service involves care coordination and management activities performed by a healthcare professional to prepare a patient for discharge from a nursing facility. It requires more than 30 minutes of time spent on these activities. |
83 | $85 | $193 |
| Advance care planning consultation, first 30 min A session focused on discussing and documenting future healthcare preferences and goals. This service covers the initial 30 minutes of the planning discussion. |
82 | $49 | $125 |
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 (2021-2024) ›
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
2.8 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. McDonald is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 18% of NY peers.
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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