Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Vaughn Howe, P.A.

Medical Physician Assistant · Bremerton, WA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
2601 CHERRY AVE STE 200, Bremerton, WA 98310
3604159110
In practice since 2007 (19 years)
NPI: 1235256272 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. Howe 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. Howe? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Howe

Dr. Vaughn Howe is a medical physician assistant in Bremerton, WA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Howe performed 1,405 Medicare services across 567 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Howe received a total of $3,344 from 25 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 182 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in medical physician assistant. 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. Howe 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 7% volume in WA $3,344 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,405
Medicare services
Top 7% in WA for medical physician assistant
567
Unique beneficiaries
$117
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~74 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
Drug screening test
A laboratory test that uses a chemistry analyzer to detect the presence of drugs in a sample.
563 $60 $287
Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS
A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS.
541 $194 $795
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)
A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
250 $82 $335
New patient office visit (45-59 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter.
28 $105 $493
Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS
A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS.
23 $92 $626
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 ↗
$3,344
Total received (2021-2024)
Avg $836/year across 4 years
Top 10% in WA for medical physician assistant
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
25
Companies
182
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
$3,344 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$463
2023
$656
2022
$818
2021
$1,408

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$248
Virtus Pharmaceuticals LLC
$90
Nevro Corp.
$55
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$34
Saluda Medical Americas, Inc.
$22
PFIZER INC.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 84.9% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2021-2024) ›
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$761
ABBVIE INC.
$745
AbbVie Inc.
$281
PFIZER INC.
$175
Nevro Corp.
$172
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$158
Lilly USA, LLC
$149
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc.
$106
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$99
Virtus Pharmaceuticals LLC
$90
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$79
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$73
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$68
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$62
Boston Scientific Corporation
$61
Pacira Therapeutics, Inc.
$45
Amgen Inc.
$41
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$38
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$34
Saluda Medical Americas, Inc.
$22
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$19
SI-BONE, INC.
$18
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$17
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$15
GRT US Holding, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 53.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AJOVY · Aimovig · BELBUCA · Belbuca · COLOGUARD DNA CAPTURE REAGENTS · EMGALITY · Evoke · Horizant · Intracept · LEVORPHANOL TARTRATE · Movantik · NURTEC ODT · Nalu Neurostimulation System · Omnia · PENNSAID · Prialt · QULIPTA · Qutenza · RELISTOR · REYVOW · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · Senza · Superion · UBRELVY · VIBERZI · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XTAMPZA · ZTLido · Zilretta
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for medical physician assistant in WA.

Looking for a medical physician assistant in Bremerton?
Compare medical physician assistants in the Bremerton area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse medical physician assistants nearby

Geographic Context

Medical physician assistants within 10 mi
399
Per 100K population
144.3
County median income
$98,546
Nearest hospital
HARRISON MEDICAL CENTER
6.9 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. Howe is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in WA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 10% of WA peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Howe experienced with drug screening test?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Howe performed 563 drug screening test 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. Howe receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Howe received a total of $3,344 from 25 companies across 182 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. Howe's costs compare to other medical physician assistants in Bremerton?
Dr. Howe's average Medicare payment per service is $117. 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. Howe) 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. 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.

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 →