Benjamin Westbrook, MD
Otolaryngology · El Paso, TXNPI 1013170299
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
The money is spread across several categories — food and beverage (48.6%), travel and lodging and education — rather than concentrated in one kind of arrangement. 24 manufacturers reported payments, led by Intuitive Surgical at 24.3% of the total. Reporting peaked in 2021 at $7,941 and has fallen 84.3% since, to $1,243 in 2025. Among otolaryngology clinicians in TX with any reported payments, this total sits in the top 10% — high for the specialty, which is a reason to read the composition above rather than the number alone.
Across 182 payments — averaging $93.05 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Intuitive Surgical$4K
- Intersect ENT, Inc.$3K
- Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.$3K
- Stryker$3K
- Medical Device Business Services, Inc.$1K
- Aerin Medical Inc.$778
- plus $3K from 18 others
What the payments were for
- Travel & lodging$5,20731%
- Food & beverage$8,22949%
- Education$3,50021%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Intuitive Surgical | 7 | $4,123 |
| Intersect ENT, Inc. | 11 | $2,760 |
| Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. | 68 | $2,646 |
| Stryker | 18 | $2,501 |
| Medical Device Business Services, Inc. | 3 | $1,112 |
| Aerin Medical Inc. | 11 | $778 |
| Medtronic(2 entities) | 11 | $619 |
| Vertex | 14 | $332 |
| Merz North America, Inc. | 5 | $289 |
| Integra Lifesciences Corporation | 2 | $245 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 4 | $227 |
| Acclarent, Inc | 2 | $203 |
| Bolton Medical Inc | 1 | $152 |
| Cochlear Americas | 2 | $150 |
| Abbott | 3 | $148 |
| Sanofi | 3 | $143 |
| Smith+Nephew | 3 | $140 |
| Tactile Systems Technology Inc | 6 | $136 |
| KARL Storz Endoscopy-america | 3 | $100 |
| Carestream Dental, LLC | 1 | $45 |
| AstraZeneca | 1 | $31 |
| Atos Medical Inc | 1 | $23 |
| Optinose US, Inc. | 1 | $19 |
| GSK | 1 | $14 |
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.
- Da Vinci Surgical System$3,914
- PROPEL$2,761
- SINUVA$2,377
- ENTELLUS - XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM$1,871
- Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation System$1,094
- Inspire$754
- VIVAER STYLUS$287
- RHINAER STYLUS$287
- Acclarent Aera$245
- Inspira Air$245
- TruDi Probe$245
- RELAY THORACIC STENT-GRAFT WITH PLUS DELIVERY SYSTEM$152
- RELIEVA SPINPLUS NAV$129
- Relieva Circa$119
- SCOPIS ENT$112
- CLARIFIX$112
- Halo$104
- XEOMIN$103
How this compares
$16,936 in reported general payments places this provider in the 90th percentile of 729 otolaryngology providers in Texas.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fluticasone Propionate | 245 | $4,662 |
| Ciprofloxacin-DexamethasoneCiprofloxacin Hcl/Dexameth | 26 | $2,723 |
| Ipratropium Bromide | 37 | $1,363 |
| Azelastine Hcl | 39 | $1,287 |
| Doxycycline Hyclate | 53 | $829 |
| Ofloxacin | 13 | $590 |
| Calcitriol | 23 | $563 |
| Famotidine | 27 | $532 |
| Ibuprofen | 100 | $499 |
| Oxycodone Hcl | 88 | $335 |
| Liothyronine Sodium | 15 | $262 |
| Levothyroxine Sodium | 17 | $113 |
| Methylprednisolone | 12 | $83 |
| Prednisone | 42 | $73 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other otolaryngology in El Paso
- Kevin BrightEl Paso$15K
- Marc DeanFort Worth$486K
- Amber LuongHouston$426K
- Arjuna KuperanHouston$348K
- Ronald KuppersmithCollege Station$325K
- Ron KarniHouston$317K
- Philip ChenSan Antonio$305K
- Jordan RihaniSouthlake$280K
- Keith MathenyFrisco$269K
- Martin CitardiHouston$245K
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.