Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Howard Hamat, MD

Gastroenterology · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
275 LANTERN BEND DR, Houston, TX 77090
2814400101
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1376537605 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. Hamat 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. Hamat? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Hamat

Dr. Howard Hamat is a gastroenterology in Houston, TX, with 20 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hamat performed 1,937 Medicare services across 1,249 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hamat received a total of $15,530 from 43 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 431 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in gastroenterology. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Hamat 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.

✓ 20 years in practice▲ Top 7% volume in TX$ $15,530 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,937
Medicare services
Top 7% in TX for gastroenterology
1,249
Unique beneficiaries
$77
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~97 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity572$28$71
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)303$98$151
Special stained specimen slides to examine tissue including interpretation and report227$53$66
Special stained specimen slides to identify organisms including interpretation and report212$71$95
Removal of polyps or growths of large bowel using an endoscope with mechanical snare129$215$699
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)124$70$100
Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy111$83$325
New patient office visit (45-59 min)88$132$225
New patient office visit (30-44 min)31$76$125
Colonoscopy with biopsy27$123$554
Diagnostic exam of large bowel using a flexible endoscope23$152$464
Colorectal cancer screening; colonoscopy on individual at high risk20$190$540
Complete ultrasound scan of abdomen19$88$275
Measurement of liver stiffness15$25$100
Insertion of guide wire with dilation of esophagus using a flexible endoscope13$136$350
Diagnostic exam of esophagus, stomach, and/or upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope12$84$250
Colorectal cancer screening; colonoscopy on individual not meeting criteria for high risk11$190$540
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 ↗
$15,530
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,219/year across 7 years
Top 13% in TX for gastroenterology
43
Companies
431
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$7,652 (49.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$7,517 (48.4%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$361 (2.3%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$3,514
2023
$2,014
2022
$1,199
2021
$1,231
2020
$977
2019
$5,713
2018
$883

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$5,653
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$1,744
ABBVIE INC.
$1,084
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$1,003
Celgene Corporation
$663
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$606
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$568
Stryker Corporation
$560
Biogen, Inc.
$450
AbbVie Inc.
$385
Celltrion USA Inc.
$260
AbbVie, Inc.
$228
PFIZER INC.
$226
Shire North American Group Inc
$215
Medtronic, Inc.
$213
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$173
INTERCEPT PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$160
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$157
QOL Medical, LLC
$127
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$123
Romark Laboratories, LC
$117
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$103
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$62
Braintree Laboratories, Inc.
$60
Allergan Inc.
$55
Shionogi Inc
$50
Lilly USA, LLC
$48
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$46
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$45
VIVUS LLC
$41
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$39
Evoke Pharma, Inc.
$38
Ardelyx, Inc.
$36
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$34
EVOKE PHARMA, INC.
$32
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$22
Amgen Inc.
$20
Biocon Biologics Inc
$18
IRONWOOD PHARMACEUTICALS, INC
$17
CONMED Corporation
$15
INTRA-SANA LABORATORIES
$15
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$12
Organon LLC
$8
Top 3 companies account for 54.6% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ALDEN SOFT IRREGULAR · APRISO · Alinia · Alinia Tablets 500mg 30 count bottle · CIMZIA · CLENPIQ · CONMED GENERATORS · CREON · DIFICID · ENTYVIO · Entyvio · GATTEX · GIMOTI · HUMIRA · Hulio · Humira · IBSRELA · INFLECTRA · INJECTAFER · INTERSTIM · LINZESS · LYNPARZA · Linzess · MAVYRET · Mavyret · Mulpleta · NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT · OCALIVA · OMVOH · PANCREAZE · Qsymia · REBYOTA · RELISTOR ORAL · RELTONE 200 MG · REMICADE · RENFLEXIS · RINVOQ · SKYRIZI · STELARA · SUCRAID · SUFLAVE · SUTAB · Sucraid · Symproic · TREMFYA · TRULANCE · TYSABRI · Talicia · Trulance · VEGZELMA · VELSIPITY · VIBERZI · VOQUEZNA · XELJANZ · XIFAXAN · XIFIXAN · ZENPEP · ZEPOSIA · ZYMFENTRA
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 →

The majority of payments (49%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.

Equivalent to $802 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a gastroenterology in Houston?
Compare gastroenterologys in the Houston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Gastroenterologys within 10 mi
236
Per 100K population
5.0
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE NORTHWEST
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/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. Hamat is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in TX), and high industry engagement (consulting-driven, top 13%), with 20 years of practice experience.

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. Hamat experienced with tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hamat performed 572 tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity 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. Hamat receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hamat received a total of $15,530 from 43 companies across 431 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. Hamat's costs compare to other gastroenterologys in Houston?
Dr. Hamat's average Medicare payment per service is $77. 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. Hamat) 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 →