Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Michelle Tarbox, MD

Dermatopathology Physician · Lubbock, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
3601 4TH ST, Lubbock, TX 79430
8067431842
In practice since 2010 (15 years)
NPI: 1417277807 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. Tarbox 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. Tarbox? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Tarbox

Dr. Michelle Tarbox is a dermatopathology physician in Lubbock, TX, with 15 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Tarbox performed 3,777 Medicare services across 2,003 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Tarbox received a total of $59,639 from 39 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 356 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in dermatopathology physician. 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. Tarbox 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.

✓ 15 years in practice▲ Top 39% volume in TX$ $59,639 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
3,777
Medicare services
Top 39% in TX for dermatopathology physician
2,003
Unique beneficiaries
$40
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~252 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
Destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-141,591$5$18
Tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity509$48$193
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)441$60$155
Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1400$34$136
Destruction of skin growths (warts/lesions), 1-14269$75$230
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)130$79$220
Skin biopsy, tangential74$63$208
New patient office visit (30-44 min)55$75$190
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)48$34$95
Destruction of precancer skin growth, 15 or more growths39$112$342
Removal and microscopic exam of growth of head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals, 1-5 tissue blocks28$448$1,363
Biopsy of related skin growth, each additional growth23$39$105
Surgical pathology consultation and report on referred slides prepared elsewhere23$67$203
Destruction of cancer skin growth of trunk, arms, or legs, 0.6-1.0 cm22$96$299
Pathology examination of tissue using a microscope, moderately low complexity22$26$107
Removal and microscopic exam of growth of head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals, each additional stage, 1-5 tissue blocks18$321$829
Intermediate repair of wound of scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs, 2.6-7.5 cm15$190$619
Punch biopsy, first skin growth14$84$259
Shaving of skin growth of body, arms, or legs, 0.5 cm or less14$48$209
Shaving of skin growth of body, arms, or legs, 0.6-1.0 cm14$73$250
Destruction of cancer skin growth of trunk, arms, or legs, 1.1-2.0 cm14$130$361
New patient office visit (45-59 min)14$113$285
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 ↗
$59,639
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $8,520/year across 7 years
Top 4% in TX for dermatopathology physician
39
Companies
356
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
$49,583 (83.1%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$10,009 (16.8%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$47 (0.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$46,685
2023
$8,369
2022
$1,338
2021
$1,272
2020
$562
2019
$949
2018
$464

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$20,232
UCB, Inc.
$10,960
GENZYME CORPORATION
$10,741
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$5,560
NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
$2,800
Lilly USA, LLC
$958
Amgen Inc.
$883
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$872
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$650
AbbVie Inc.
$638
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$488
PFIZER INC.
$479
AbbVie, Inc.
$462
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$386
ABBVIE INC.
$384
Genentech USA, Inc.
$342
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$315
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$243
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$218
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$217
Incyte Corporation
$211
LEO Pharma Inc.
$200
Journey Medical Corporation
$178
Ortho Dermatologics, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$143
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$129
Acerta Pharma LLC
$107
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$100
Biofrontera Inc.
$98
Kerecis Limited
$96
Celgene Corporation
$91
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$90
Eli Lilly and Company
$80
Krystal Biotech Inc
$72
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$53
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$46
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$45
Foundation Medicine, Inc.
$33
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$24
Medline Industries, Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 70.3% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADBRY · AKLIEF · AMELUZ · AREXVY · Absorica LD · Ameluz · BLU-U · Bimzelx · CIBINQO · COSENTYX · Cabtreo · Cimzia · DUPIXENT · ELZONRIS · ENSTILAR · EPIDUO FORTE · EUCRISA · Enbrel · Erivedge · FASENRA · FLEXITOUCH · FOUNDATIONONE · Flexitouch Plus · HUMIRA · Humira · Hyalomatrix Wound Device · ILUMYA · Ilumya · Kerecis Omega3 SurgiClose · LIBTAYO · LITFULO · NUCALA · OLUMIANT · OPZELURA · Otezla · POTELIGEO · Poteligeo · QBREXZA · RINVOQ · Rituxan · SKYRIZI · SPEVIGO · Skyrizi · Sotyktu · TALTZ · TREMFYA · Tremfya · VTAMA · VYJUVEK · Winlevi · Xolair · Zoryve
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 (83%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 4% for dermatopathology physician in TX.

Equivalent to $1,579 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a dermatopathology physician in Lubbock?
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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. Tarbox is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and high industry engagement (consulting-driven, top 4%), with 15 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. Tarbox experienced with destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Tarbox performed 1,591 destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14 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. Tarbox receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Tarbox received a total of $59,639 from 39 companies across 356 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. Tarbox's costs compare to other dermatopathology physicians in Lubbock?
Dr. Tarbox's average Medicare payment per service is $40. 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. Tarbox) 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 →