Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Austin Howard, MD
Cardiovascular Disease · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Remote & Electrophysiology— Practice combining remote and electrophysiology services
Low-engagement
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. Howard 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. Howard? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Howard
Dr. Austin Howard is a cardiovascular disease in Houston, TX, with 12 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Howard performed 3,909 Medicare services across 3,338 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Howard received a total of $42,894 from 33 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 536 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cardiovascular disease. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Howard is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 12 years in practice▲ Top 25% volume in TX$ $42,894 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,909
Medicare services
Top 25% in TX for cardiovascular disease
3,338
Unique beneficiaries
$42
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~326 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days | 545 | $15 | $95 |
| Interrogation device evaluation(s), (remote) up to 30 days; implantable cardiovascular physiologic monitor system, implantable loop recorder system, or subcutaneous cardiac rhythm monitor system, remote data acquisition(s), receipt of transmissions and tec | 525 | $35 | $55 |
| Evaluation of cardiac rhythm monitor system, remote up to 30 days | 480 | $18 | $80 |
| Remote pacemaker monitoring, 90 days | 406 | $21 | $100 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead | 309 | $10 | $93 |
| Evaluation of single, dual, multiple lead or leadless pacemaker system | 290 | $36 | $114 |
| Evaluation of implantable heart and blood vessel monitoring system, remote up to 30 days | 172 | $18 | $70 |
| Evaluation of single, dual, or multiple lead implantable defibrillator system, remote up to 90 days | 140 | $26 | $180 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 140 | $91 | $291 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) | 113 | $128 | $471 |
| Evaluation of implantable heart and blood vessel monitoring system | 102 | $32 | $146 |
| Use of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by physician performing a procedure (5 years or older), initial 15 minutes | 84 | $9 | $130 |
| Evaluation of single, dual, or multiple lead implantable defibrillator system | 71 | $45 | $177 |
| Programming of dual lead pacemaker system | 66 | $57 | $176 |
| Electrocardiogram (ecg) up to 30 days continuous with review and report by health care professional | 58 | $19 | $70 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity | 46 | $129 | $569 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity | 42 | $60 | $200 |
| Insertion of pacemaker and upper and lower heart chamber electrode | 39 | $384 | $1,274 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 33 | $118 | $477 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity | 31 | $99 | $420 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) | 29 | $8 | $22 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity | 26 | $87 | $283 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 24 | $55 | $188 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel | 19 | $8 | $42 |
| Programming of multiple lead implantable defibrillator system | 19 | $80 | $271 |
| Magnesium level test | 17 | $7 | $35 |
| Comprehensive electrophysiologic evaluation with catheter destruction of abnormality causing atrial fibrillation (uncoordinated contraction of upper chambers of heart) by pulmonary vein isolation | 17 | $704 | $2,836 |
| Removal of heart rhythm monitor from under the skin | 16 | $42 | $353 |
| Programming of multiple lead pacemaker system | 15 | $55 | $206 |
| Evaluation of cardiac rhythm monitor system | 13 | $37 | $111 |
| Removal and replacement of dual lead permanent pacemaker | 11 | $263 | $905 |
| Comprehensive electrophysiologic evaluation with catheter destruction of abnormality of upper chamber of heart causing supraventricular tachycardia (rapid heart rate) | 11 | $621 | $2,125 |
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.
41.7% high complexity
0.0% medium
58.3% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$42,894
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $6,128/year across 7 years
Top 12% in TX for cardiovascular disease
33
Companies
536
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
$26,994 (62.9%)
Scientific / Research
Research funding and grants
$14,330 (33.4%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$1,031 (2.4%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$539 (1.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024$2,058
2023$1,542
2022$15,258
2021$7,160
2020$10,833
2019$3,489
2018$2,554
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$9,563
Abbott Laboratories
$8,649
Medtronic, Inc.
$4,807
BIOTRONIK INC.
$4,755
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$4,336
Biosense Webster, Inc.
$3,773
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$1,695
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$846
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$654
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$551
Amgen Inc.
$377
ATRICURE, INC.
$357
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$351
ABIOMED
$348
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$314
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$290
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$290
PFIZER INC.
$211
Baylis Medical Company Inc
$161
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$102
Ethicon US, LLC
$74
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$55
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$51
CHIESI USA, INC.
$49
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$42
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$37
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$34
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$26
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$24
Aziyo Biologics, Inc.
$23
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, LLC
$21
HeartFlow, Inc.
$16
Allergan Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 53.7% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCENT · AMPLATZER TorqVue Delivery Systm · ANDEXXA · ARCTIC FRONT ADVANCE · ASSURITY · ATTAIN COMMAND + SUREVALVE · AURORA EV-ICD MRI SURESCAN · AVEIR · AZURE XT DR MRI SURESCAN · Accent Pacemaker · Acticor 7 VR-T DX · Adapta · Advisa · Advisor Catheter · Arctic Front · Assurity Pacemaker · Azure · BEVYXXA · BIOMONITOR · BRILINTA · CAMZYOS · CARDENE · CARDIOMEMS · CARTO 3 · CHANTIX · CLEVIPREX 50MG/100ML · COBALT DR MRI SURESCAN · CareLink · Carto 3 · Carto 3 System · Cobalt · Confirm Rx · Corlanor · DIAMONDTEMP BIDIRECTIONAL ABLATION CATHETER · ECM Patch · ELIQUIS · EMBLEM MRI S-ICD · ENSITE · ENSITE PRECISION · ENTRESTO · EPI-SENSE GUIDED COAGULATION SYSTEM WITH VISITRAX · Edora 8 DR-T · Ellipse ICD · EnSite Precision Cardiac Mapping System · Ensite Cardiac Mapping System · FORTIFY ASSURA · Fortify Assura · GALLANT · GENERAL BRADY · GENERAL EP · GENERAL THERAPIES · GENERAL - BRADY · GENERAL EP · GORE CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder · General - EP · Gore Septal Occluder · IGT D Peripheral · Impella · JOT DX · KENGREAL · LEXISCAN · LINQ II · LINZESS · LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor · LifeVest · MICRA · MULTAQ · Merlin Connectivity and Remote · Micra · Mitra Clip system · NA · NRG needle · OCTARAY MAPPING CATHETER · OPSUMIT · OPSUMIT MACITENTAN · Optimizer · PULSESELECT · Perclose ProGlide suture mediated closure system · Pouch · QDOT MICRO Catheter · QUADRA ASSURA · Quadra Assura CRT Defibrillator · Quartet CRT Lead · RHYTHMIA · Repatha · Rhythmia Mapping System · Rivacor 7 DR-T · SENSITHERM MULTI · SENSOR ENABLED · Smartablate · TACTICATH ABLATION CATHETER · TENDRIL · UPTRAVI · VISTASEAL · VYNDAQEL · WATCHMAN · XARELTO · ZIO XT Patch · Zio monitor
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 (63%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $1,097 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Cardiovascular Diseases within 10 mi
396
Per 100K population
8.3
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
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. Howard is a remote & electrophysiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 25% in TX), and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 12%).
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. Howard experienced with remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Howard performed 545 remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days 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. Howard receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Howard received a total of $42,894 from 33 companies across 536 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. Howard's costs compare to other cardiovascular diseases in Houston?
Dr. Howard's average Medicare payment per service is $42. 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. Howard) 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 →
Explore related providers
Same specialty & city
Cardiovascular Diseases in Houston
Browse cardiovascular diseases in Houston ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Cardiovascular Diseases in TX
Cardiovascular Diseases ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Cardiovascular Diseases in TX
Which TX cardiovascular diseases receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Boston Scientific Corporation Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Boston Scientific Corporation.
By company
Abbott Laboratories Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Abbott Laboratories.
By company
Medtronic, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Medtronic, Inc..
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