Howard Lee Cummings, M.D.

27% fewer Medicare Part D claims than the average retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician in 2024

450 Medicare Part D claims for 189 beneficiaries, against an average of 620 among the 1,449 providers of this specialty who prescribed in Part D. Brand-name drugs were 18% of claims. 85 claims were for opioids.

Most prescribed

1. Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen79 claims
2. Tobramycin-Dexamethasone55 claims
3. Neomycin-Polymyxin-Dexameth45 claims
4. Ketorolac Tromethamine41 claims
5. Prednisolone Acetate39 claims
6. Erythromycin34 claims

Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers by Provider and Drug, 2024 (data.cms.gov). Part D covers prescriptions for Medicare patients only; drugs with fewer than 11 claims are not published.

The practice group's MIPS final score for 2023 (Medicare payment program): 96.3 of 100

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System score is reported for the practice group, not for one clinician alone. Four categories are weighted into the final score; the average among 454,083 clinicians with a measured score was 83.5.

Source: CMS Quality Payment Program, MIPS performance year 2023, group reporting; category weights for 2023 (qpp.cms.gov).

Industry payments in 2024: $339.03

9 payments; by number, the most common kind was food and beverage; the largest payer was Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. The 1,253 providers of this specialty with any payment received $7,667.49 on average. Payments are reported by manufacturers, not by the provider, and are not a sign of wrongdoing.

Source: CMS Open Payments, program year 2024 (openpaymentsdata.cms.gov); average among providers of this specialty with at least one payment.

Bills Medicare through one group practice

1. Southeastern Retina Associates PCJohnson City, TN

Source: CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File (the group practices a clinician bills Medicare through) (data.cms.gov).