Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Taylor Shepard, M.D.

Otolaryngology · Austin, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
4315 JAMES CASEY ST, Austin, TX 78745
5124447944
In practice since 2008 (17 years)
NPI: 1528232568 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. Shepard 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. Shepard

Dr. Taylor Shepard is an otolaryngology specialist in Austin, TX, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Shepard performed 1,151 Medicare services across 724 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Shepard received a total of $6,480 from 33 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 153 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in otolaryngology. 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. Shepard is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 17 years in practice ▲ Top 34% volume in TX $6,480 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,151
Medicare services
Top 34% in TX for otolaryngology
724
Unique beneficiaries
$63
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~68 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
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 231 $65 $280
Allergy immunotherapy preparation 213 $12 $50
New patient office visit (30-44 min) 131 $81 $343
Allergy injection therapy, multiple injections 123 $9 $37
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 114 $94 $395
New patient office visit (45-59 min) 78 $122 $510
Diagnostic exam of voice box using a flexible endoscope 57 $104 $412
Diagnostic exam of nasal passages using an endoscope 44 $145 $608
Removal of impacted ear wax 42 $31 $146
Removal of impacted cerumen (one or both ears) by physician on same date of service as audiologic function testing 39 $41 $161
Exam to assess movement of vocal cord flaps using an endoscope 38 $158 $625
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) 17 $41 $175
Exam of ear using a microscope 13 $23 $93
New patient office or other outpatient visit, 15-29 minutes 11 $60 $225
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 ↗
$6,480
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $926/year across 7 years
Top 14% in TX for otolaryngology
33
Companies
153
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
$5,665 (87.4%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$814 (12.6%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$995
2023
$914
2022
$1,013
2021
$1,371
2020
$498
2019
$1,073
2018
$617

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$1,163
Intersect ENT, Inc.
$1,032
Stryker Corporation
$998
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$481
GENZYME CORPORATION
$447
Olympus America Inc.
$376
Optinose US, Inc.
$278
Aerin Medical Inc.
$226
Medtronic, Inc.
$218
OptiNose US, Inc.
$159
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$150
Acclarent, Inc
$142
AERIN MEDICAL INC.
$135
Entellus Medical, Inc.
$120
Ethicon US, LLC
$116
AXOGEN
$48
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$44
Covidien LP
$39
Kaleo, Inc.
$36
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$31
ALK-Abello, Inc
$31
Acera Surgical, Inc.
$25
Preceptis Medical, Inc.
$24
Greer Laboratories, Inc.
$21
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$20
Itamar Medical Inc
$18
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$18
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$17
Davol Inc.
$15
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$15
Novo Nordisk Inc
$14
Arrinex, Inc.
$13
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$11
Top 3 companies account for 49.3% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AUVI-Q · AVANCE NERVE GRAFT · Auvi-Q · AxoGuard Nerve Protector · Clarifix · Coblation - Laryngeal Wands · DIEGO TRIGGER SWITCH STERILE · DISPOSABLE · DUPIXENT · Debrider Console · ENT - Diego Elite Capital · ENT Videoscopes · ENTELLUS - FIAGON SINUS NAVIGATION SYSTEM · ENTELLUS - FIAGON SINUS NAVIGATION SYSTEM CONSUMABLES · ENTELLUS - XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM · FASENRA · FUSION · Hummingbird Tympanostomy Tube System · INSPIRE · Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation System · LINX Reflux Management System · LigaSure · NUCALA · NUVENT · Nalocet · ORALAIR · Olympus Capital Accessories · Otiprio · Otovel · PROPEL · Progel · RELIEVA SpinPlus NAV Balloon Sinusplasty System · RHINO-LARYNGO VIDEOSCOPE · Restrata Wound Matrix · Ryaltris · SHAVER SYSTEM · SINUVA · TruDi NAV Cable · VIVAER STYLUS · VenSure · WatchPAT · XOLAIR · Xhance · Xultophy 100/3.6
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 (87%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $563 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for an otolaryngology specialist in Austin?
Compare otolaryngologists in the Austin area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Otolaryngologists within 10 mi
56
Per 100K population
4.3
County median income
$97,169
Nearest hospital
AUSTIN OAKS HOSPITAL
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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Shepard is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 14% of TX peers, with 17 years of NPI registration.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Shepard experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Shepard performed 231 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 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. Shepard receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Shepard received a total of $6,480 from 33 companies across 153 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. Shepard's costs compare to other otolaryngologists in Austin?
Dr. Shepard's average Medicare payment per service is $63. 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. Shepard) 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. The Transparency Score measures 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 →