Brian Hixon, MD
Otolaryngology · Lexington, KYNPI 1871852244
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
The money is spread across several categories — consulting fees (40.6%), food and beverage and travel and lodging — rather than concentrated in one kind of arrangement. Cochlear Americas accounts for 67.6% of it on its own, with 23 other manufacturers making up the rest. 2025 is the largest year on record at $5,706, more than ten times the $526 reported in 2019. Among otolaryngology clinicians in KY with any reported payments, this total sits in the top 5% — high for the specialty, which is a reason to read the composition above rather than the number alone.
Across 88 payments — averaging $89.52 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Cochlear Americas$5K
- Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.$478
- Medtronic$406
- Optinose US, Inc.$387
- Stryker$328
- Acclarent, Inc$277
- plus $672 from 18 others
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$3,20041%
- Travel & lodging$1,71422%
- Food & beverage$2,96338%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cochlear Americas | 7 | $5,329 |
| Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. | 11 | $478 |
| Medtronic(2 entities) | 4 | $406 |
| Optinose US, Inc. | 22 | $387 |
| Stryker | 10 | $328 |
| Acclarent, Inc | 5 | $277 |
| Aerin Medical Inc. | 4 | $171 |
| Intersect ENT, Inc. | 4 | $112 |
| KARL Storz Endoscopy-america | 3 | $69 |
| Astellas Pharma US Inc | 3 | $40 |
| Tersera Therapeutics LLC | 1 | $36 |
| Sanofi | 2 | $27 |
| Amgen | 1 | $24 |
| AstraZeneca | 1 | $22 |
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | 1 | $21 |
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. | 1 | $20 |
| GSK | 1 | $18 |
| Bayer | 1 | $17 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 1 | $17 |
| Taiho Oncology, Inc. | 1 | $16 |
| Integra Lifesciences Corporation | 1 | $16 |
| Pharmacosmos Therapeutics Inc. | 1 | $16 |
| Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC | 1 | $15 |
| Med-el Corporation | 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.
How this compares
$7,878 in reported general payments places this provider in the 95th 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 | 80 | $2,822 |
| Ofloxacin | 55 | $1,835 |
| Fluticasone Propionate | 114 | $1,452 |
| Nortriptyline Hcl | 44 | $1,235 |
| Mometasone Furoate | 15 | $455 |
| Gabapentin | 28 | $409 |
| Azelastine Hcl | 11 | $393 |
| Amoxicillin-Clavulanate PotassAmoxicillin/Potassium Clav | 12 | $123 |
| Prednisone | 37 | $105 |
| Lidocaine Hcl ViscousLidocaine Hcl | 11 | $62 |
| Cephalexin | 21 | $53 |
| Hydrocodone-AcetaminophenHydrocodone/Acetaminophen | 17 | $43 |
| Oxycodone-AcetaminophenOxycodone Hcl/Acetaminophen | 11 | $17 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other otolaryngology in Lexington
- Thomas GalLexington$21K
- 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
- Benjamin LehmkuhlLexington$2K
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.