Physician profile
Leah M Backhus
NPI 1528293677
$74,265.38
in general payments reported to CMS, 2019-2025
14 companies · $17K in 2025
The $17K reported for 2025 was more than what 93% of Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) providers received nationally (typical 2025 total: $796).
Payments by year
General payments by program year, as reported to CMS.
General payments by year: 2019: $452 · 2020: $2,662 · 2021: $8,820 · 2022: $11K · 2023: $16K · 2024: $18K · 2025: $17K.
What the payments were for
Nature of payment as categorized by the reporting companies: meals, consulting, travel, and so on.
Consulting Fee: $45K · Travel and Lodging: $3,979 · Food and Beverage: $1,725 · Grant: $1,209.
View as a table
| Payment type | Amount (2023-2025) |
|---|---|
| Consulting Fee | $44,713.88 |
| Travel and Lodging | $3,978.54 |
| Food and Beverage | $1,725.06 |
| Grant | $1,208.96 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethicon US, LLC | $19,562.11 | 2024-2025 | Echelon; Endopath, Harmonic, Enseal |
| Medical Device Business Services, INC. | $11,213.05 | 2020-2025 | |
| Genentech, INC. | $10,638.59 | 2021-2023 | |
| Daiichi Sankyo INC. | $7,465.18 | 2022 | |
| Genentech USA, INC. | $5,447.44 | 2022-2024 | Tecentriq, Alecensa |
| E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C. | $5,193.52 | 2021-2024 | |
| Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | $4,918.12 | 2021-2025 | Imfinzi |
| Ethicon INC. | $4,545.00 | 2020-2025 | Harmonic, Enseal, Echelon; Endopath |
| F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ag | $2,816.67 | 2023 | Tecentriq |
| Medtronic, INC. | $1,531.17 | 2023-2025 | Signia |
| Intuitive Surgical, INC. | $436.81 | 2019-2024 | |
| Covidien LP | $261.00 | 2019-2020 | |
| Medtronic Vascular, INC. | $154.78 | 2019 | |
| Kls-Martin L.P. | $81.94 | 2022-2024 |
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 Leah Backhus 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.
Share this page
Keep an eye on this page
Get an email when the next June refresh changes this page. No account needed.
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.