Gregory Niemer, MD
Rheumatology · Summerville, SCNPI 1356449367
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
The money is spread across several categories — other (44.5%), ownership interests and royalties or licence payments — rather than concentrated in one kind of arrangement. American Rheumatology Network, LLC accounts for 97.4% of it on its own, with 35 other manufacturers making up the rest. 2025 is the largest year on record at $1,291,306, more than ten times the $54,110 reported in 2019. Among rheumatology clinicians in SC 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 998 payments — averaging $2874.06 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- American Rheumatology Network, LLC$2.8M
- AbbVie$39K
- Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.$11K
- GSK$8K
- Pfizer$3K
- Johnson & Johnson$3K
- plus $12K from 30 others
Across 64 payments — averaging $4438.16 each. Payments tied to a research study. These frequently flow through the physician to a hospital or research institution rather than to the physician personally.
- AbbVie$181K
- Novartis$65K
- Sanofi US Services Inc.$16K
- E.r. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.$11K
- GSK$5K
- Amgen$5K
Across 6 payments — averaging $212,500 each. An ownership or investment interest held by the physician or an immediate family member.
- American Rheumatology Network, LLC$1.3M
What the payments were for
- Royalty or licence$624,22122%
- Consulting fees$141,0715%
- Speaking & faculty fees$25,8021%
- Grants$27,2091%
- Travel & lodging$4,7310%
- Food & beverage$20,9821%
- Education$6810%
- Ownership interest$748,61126%
- Other$1,275,00044%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| American Rheumatology Network, LLC | 14 | $2,792,410 |
| AbbVie | 137 | $38,590 |
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. | 33 | $10,786 |
| GSK | 57 | $8,255 |
| Pfizer | 54 | $3,067 |
| Johnson & Johnson(3 entities) | 141 | $2,958 |
| Amgen(2 entities) | 145 | $2,869 |
| AstraZeneca(2 entities) | 58 | $1,393 |
| Novartis | 72 | $1,350 |
| UCB, Inc. | 70 | $1,253 |
| Lilly USA, LLC | 54 | $1,037 |
| Octapharma USA, Inc. | 8 | $1,020 |
| E.r. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C. | 47 | $788 |
| Organon | 15 | $385 |
| Boehringer Ingelheim | 16 | $350 |
| Sobi, Inc | 7 | $308 |
| Genentech USA, Inc. | 15 | $269 |
| Sandoz | 16 | $265 |
| Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC | 7 | $165 |
| Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC | 2 | $125 |
| Sanofi | 4 | $109 |
| Mckesson Specialty Care Distribution, LLC | 1 | $84 |
| Merck | 5 | $65 |
| Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc. | 3 | $60 |
| US Oncology Corporate, Inc. | 1 | $57 |
| Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA | 3 | $45 |
| Radius Health, Inc. | 2 | $43 |
| Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc. | 2 | $35 |
| Invivyd Inc | 1 | $29 |
| Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, PLC | 1 | $24 |
| Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. | 1 | $24 |
| Medexus Pharma, Inc. | 2 | $24 |
| ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1 | $19 |
| Boston Scientific | 1 | $17 |
| Almatica Pharma LLC | 1 | $17 |
| Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. | 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
$2,868,309 in reported general payments places this provider in the 95th percentile of 123 rheumatology providers in South Carolina.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Enbrel SureclickEtanercept | 35 | $307,115 |
| TremfyaGuselkumab | 13 | $182,338 |
| RinvoqUpadacitinib | 22 | $168,189 |
| Orencia ClickjectAbatacept | 28 | $167,483 |
| Cimzia (2 Pack)Certolizumab Pegol | 20 | $113,647 |
| Cosentyx (2 Syringes)Secukinumab | 13 | $93,777 |
| BenlystaBelimumab | 19 | $81,096 |
| OtezlaApremilast | 13 | $47,427 |
| Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate | 572 | $21,391 |
| MethotrexateMethotrexate Sodium | 357 | $7,727 |
| SavellaMilnacipran Hcl | 12 | $7,291 |
| Leflunomide | 135 | $5,859 |
| Mycophenolate Mofetil | 60 | $5,187 |
| Lidocaine | 19 | $2,887 |
| Febuxostat | 14 | $2,567 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Companies that both paid and supply prescribed drugs
These companies both reported payments to this provider and make drugs the provider prescribed under Medicare Part D in 2024. For most specialties this overlap is expected — a cardiologist who is paid by a cardiology drugmaker also treats heart disease. It is shown so the reader can see it, not because it implies anything on its own.
| Company | Paid to this provider | Part D cost of their drugs |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson & JohnsonTremfya | $2,958 | $182,33813 claims |
| AbbVieRinvoq, Savella | $38,590 | $175,47934 claims |
| UCB, Inc.Cimzia (2 Pack) | $1,253 | $113,64720 claims |
| NovartisCosentyx (2 Syringes) | $1,350 | $93,77713 claims |
| GSKBenlysta | $8,255 | $81,09619 claims |
| AmgenOtezla | $2,869 | $47,42713 claims |
Reading this fairly. The Part D column is what drug plans and patients paid pharmacies — this provider received none of it, and it reflects how many patients they treat and what those drugs cost. Against peers, this provider's reported payments sit in the 95th percentile of 123 rheumatology providers in South Carolina.
Other rheumatology in Summerville
- Colin EdgertonSummerville$3.5M
- Gary FinkSummerville$2.9M
- Clarence LegertonSummerville$2.9M
- Jennifer MurphySummerville$2.8M
- William EdwardsSummerville$1.3M
- Nicholas HoldgateSummerville$23K
- Bradley CollinsSummerville$6K
- Durga AdhikariSummerville$5K
- Alan BrownGreenville$947K
- Douglas ConawayMyrtle Beach$500K
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.