Physician profile
Robert J Howard
NPI 1609895010
$3,310.58
in general payments reported to CMS, 2019-2025
14 companies · $1,157 in 2025
The $1,157 reported for 2025 was more than what a typical Surgery provider received nationally (typical 2025 total: $281).
Payments by year
General payments by program year, as reported to CMS.
General payments by year: 2019: $1,286 · 2020: $321 · 2021: $55.38 · 2022: $207 · 2023: $192 · 2024: $92.66 · 2025: $1,157.
What the payments were for
Nature of payment as categorized by the reporting companies: meals, consulting, travel, and so on.
Education: $829 · Food and Beverage: $573 · Debt Forgiveness: $38.71.
View as a table
| Payment type | Amount (2023-2025) |
|---|---|
| Education | $829.29 |
| Food and Beverage | $573.01 |
| Debt Forgiveness | $38.71 |
Payment-type detail covers 2023-2025; earlier years are included in totals but not broken out here.
Who reported paying
General payments only, as reported to CMS. Product names cover 2023-2025.
| Company | General payments | Years | Top products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intuitive Surgical, INC. | $2,759.15 | 2019-2025 | Da Vinci Surgical System |
| Davol INC. | $227.40 | 2019-2025 | Phasix Mesh |
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., INC. | $52.19 | 2020-2021 | |
| Conmed Corporation | $42.66 | 2023-2024 | Airseal, Visiclear |
| Baxter Healthcare | $38.71 | 2023 | |
| Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, INC. | $30.48 | 2022-2023 | Seglentis |
| Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | $25.92 | 2025 | Exparel |
| Asensus Surgical, INC. | $25.23 | 2019 | |
| Tela Bio, INC. | $21.07 | 2025 | Ovitex Reinforced Bioscaffold With Permanent Polymer (Ovitex) |
| Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC | $19.97 | 2019 | |
| Endogastric Solutions, INC | $18.44 | 2023 | Esophyx |
| Integra Lifesciences Corporation | $17.96 | 2021 | |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | $17.61 | 2025 | |
| Shire North American Group INC | $13.79 | 2019 |
Drugs and devices associated with these payments
CMS records which products a payment was associated with, not how the money was allocated. Association is not allocation: one payment can be associated with several products, and a product listing does not mean the payment was made because of that product. Product detail covers 2023-2025.
If you want to bring it up
Most clinicians are glad to talk about this. A respectful way in:
- "I saw Robert Howard listed in the CMS Open Payments database. Can you tell me about your work with those companies?"
- "Is there a generic or alternative to this medication, and would it work as well for me?"
- "What made you choose this particular treatment for my situation?"
These are normal questions. A good clinician will welcome them.
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Source: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019-2025, as reported to CMS by drug and device makers (published June 30, 2026). Drug and device detail covers 2023-2025.