Benjamin Lehmkuhl
Otolaryngology · Lexington, KYNPI 1053772707
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
Almost everything reported here is food and beverage — 100.0% of the total across 49 separate payments, which is the pattern of a clinician who attends manufacturer presentations rather than one with a consulting arrangement. 11 manufacturers reported payments, led by Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. at 50.4% of the total. 2025 is the largest year on record at $781, more than ten times the $19 reported in 2019.
Across 49 payments — averaging $39.08 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.$965
- Medtronic$310
- Sanofi$220
- GSK$197
- Aerin Medical Inc.$51
- Stryker$48
- plus $124 from 5 others
What the payments were for
- Food & beverage$1,915100%
Most of this is food and beverage — typically meals provided during product presentations at a clinic or hospital. Nationally that is the single largest category of reported payments by count.
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. | 22 | $965 |
| Medtronic | 3 | $310 |
| Sanofi | 4 | $220 |
| GSK | 8 | $197 |
| Aerin Medical Inc. | 3 | $51 |
| Stryker | 2 | $48 |
| AstraZeneca | 3 | $45 |
| Eyevance Pharmaceuticals LLC | 1 | $24 |
| Genentech USA, Inc. | 1 | $21 |
| Greer Laboratories, Inc. | 1 | $19 |
| Kaleo, Inc. | 1 | $15 |
What the payments were tied to
Products named in the reported payments. Only payments of $100 or more are attributed here — the typical reported payment nationally is a meal worth about $16, and listing those product-by-product would be noise.
- Inspire$557
- STEALTHSTATION S8 PLATFORM$181
- DUPIXENT$115
- NUCALA$106
How this compares
$1,915 in reported general payments places this provider in the 60th percentile of 137 otolaryngology providers in Kentucky.
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| Ipratropium Bromide | 247 | $6,080 |
| Pantoprazole Sodium | 176 | $1,863 |
| Fluticasone Propionate | 73 | $1,159 |
| Azelastine Hcl | 46 | $1,040 |
| Ofloxacin | 24 | $885 |
| Cefdinir | 32 | $652 |
| Famotidine | 42 | $435 |
| Mupirocin | 62 | $378 |
| Diclofenac Sodium | 16 | $243 |
| Triamcinolone Acetonide | 45 | $227 |
| Methylprednisolone | 30 | $223 |
| Amitriptyline Hcl | 29 | $213 |
| Hydrocodone-AcetaminophenHydrocodone/Acetaminophen | 49 | $123 |
| Amoxicillin-Clavulanate PotassAmoxicillin/Potassium Clav | 12 | $73 |
| Triamterene-HydrochlorothiazidTriamterene/Hydrochlorothiazid | 25 | $72 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other otolaryngology in Lexington
- Thomas GalLexington$21K
- Brian HixonLexington$8K
- Sanford ArcherLexington$6K
- David AlexanderLexington$6K
- Quinn DunlapLexington$6K
- Ray van MetreLexington$5K
- Joseph ValentinoLexington$5K
- Kenneth HughesLexington$4K
- Greg OsetinskyLexington$3K
- Alberto LaureanoLexington$3K
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.