Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Richard Johnston, MD
Urology Physician · Tacoma, WA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Johnston 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. Johnston
Dr. Richard Johnston is an urology physician in Tacoma, WA, with 14 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Johnston performed 1,438 Medicare services across 1,218 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Johnston received a total of $1,846 from 26 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 62 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in urology physician. 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. Johnston 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.
✓ 14 years in practice
▲ Top 34% volume in WA
$1,846 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,438
Medicare services
Top 34% in WA for urology physician
1,218
Unique beneficiaries
$83
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~103 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
279 | $2 | $15 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
200 | $71 | $155 |
| 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. |
149 | $96 | $216 |
| Bladder ultrasound after voiding An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder. |
120 | $9 | $50 |
| 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. |
106 | $137 | $354 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) | 87 | $17 | $50 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
86 | $8 | $15 |
| Cystourethroscopy A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract. |
86 | $193 | $494 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
43 | $3 | $15 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
37 | $83 | $282 |
| Simple insertion of temporary bladder tube A procedure to place a temporary tube into the bladder. This allows for the drainage of urine from the bladder. |
30 | $49 | $151 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
28 | $50 | $102 |
| Ureteral stone crushing with stent insertion An endoscope is used to break up a stone in the ureter, followed by the placement of a stent to keep the ureter open. |
27 | $338 | $1,122 |
| Transurethral prostate removal with electrocautery This procedure involves removing the prostate gland through the urethra using an endoscope and an electrocautery knife to control bleeding. |
23 | $537 | $1,816 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
23 | $141 | $365 |
| Office visit for established patient An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present. |
21 | $19 | $50 |
| Ureteral stent insertion via endoscope A flexible tube is inserted into the ureter using an endoscope to keep the passage open and allow urine to flow from the kidney to the bladder. |
18 | $78 | $650 |
| Shock wave crushing of kidney stones A procedure that uses shock waves to break kidney stones into smaller pieces so they can pass more easily from the body. |
15 | $490 | $1,759 |
| Imaging of urinary tract with contrast An imaging test of the urinary tract performed after a contrast agent is injected to enhance visibility of the structures. |
13 | $17 | $47 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
13 | $133 | $255 |
| Intraoperative ultrasound guidance Use of ultrasound imaging during a surgical procedure to help guide the surgeon's actions. |
12 | $51 | $125 |
| Laparoscopic removal of kidney and lymph nodes Surgical removal of the kidney and nearby lymph nodes using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
11 | $1,099 | $2,615 |
| Transrectal ultrasound of the pelvis An ultrasound imaging procedure where a probe is inserted into the rectum to visualize pelvic structures. |
11 | $127 | $235 |
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.
3.1% high complexity
10.8% medium
86.0% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$1,846
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $369/year across 5 years
Top 45% in WA for urology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
26
Companies
62
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
$1,842 (99.8%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$4 (0.2%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$894
2023
$412
2022
$422
2021
$4
2018
$115
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$161
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$149
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$104
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$74
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$68
COLOPLAST CORP
$64
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$47
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$43
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$33
ACCORD HEALTHCARE, INC.
$33
Verity Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$31
Endo USA, Inc.
$26
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$26
Telix Pharmaceuticals
$20
IMMUNITYBIO, INC.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 46.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Coloplast Corp
$252
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$237
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$186
ABBVIE INC.
$161
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$152
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$115
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$99
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$75
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$74
COLOPLAST CORP
$64
Boston Scientific Corporation
$57
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$47
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$41
ACCORD HEALTHCARE, INC.
$33
Verity Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$31
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$30
Endo USA, Inc.
$26
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$26
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$24
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$23
Laborie Medical Technologies Corp.
$21
UROVANT SCIENCES INC
$20
Telix Pharmaceuticals
$20
IMMUNITYBIO, INC.
$15
PFIZER INC.
$12
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$4
Top 3 companies account for 36.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADSTILADRIN · ANKTIVA · AVEED · Advantage System · BOTOX · CAMCEVI · ERLEADA · Erleada · FASLODEX · GEMTESA · ILLUCCIX · LUPRON DEPOT · LYNPARZA · Myrbetriq · NOCDURNA · Nubeqa · PROLARIS · PROVENGE · Porges Coloplast · Prolaris · Thiola · Titan · Trelstar · XIAFLEX · XTANDI · Xtandi · YONSA · myRisk · rezum Generator
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.
Geographic Context
Urology physicians within 10 mi
57
Per 100K population
6.2
County median income
$96,632
Nearest hospital
ST JOSEPH 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 reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Johnston is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Johnston experienced with automated urinalysis?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Johnston performed 279 automated urinalysis 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. Johnston receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Johnston received a total of $1,846 from 26 companies across 62 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. Johnston's costs compare to other urology physicians in Tacoma?
Dr. Johnston's average Medicare payment per service is $83. 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. Johnston) 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 →
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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.
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