James Kempiners, MD
Otolaryngology · Fort Thomas, KYNPI 1598842213
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
The money is spread across several categories — consulting fees (42.8%), food and beverage and travel and lodging — rather than concentrated in one kind of arrangement. Optinose US, Inc. accounts for 67.3% of it on its own, with 21 other manufacturers making up the rest. Reporting peaked in 2019 at $5,147 and has fallen 96.3% since, to $193 in 2025. Among otolaryngology clinicians in KY 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 103 payments — averaging $68.10 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Optinose US, Inc.$5K
- Stryker$765
- Acclarent, Inc$632
- Sanofi$170
- Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.$134
- Alk-abello, Inc$107
- plus $486 from 16 others
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$3,00043%
- Travel & lodging$1,17417%
- Food & beverage$2,84040%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Optinose US, Inc. | 28 | $4,721 |
| Stryker | 18 | $765 |
| Acclarent, Inc | 18 | $632 |
| Sanofi | 6 | $170 |
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. | 6 | $134 |
| Alk-abello, Inc | 4 | $107 |
| Smith+Nephew | 3 | $91 |
| GSK | 3 | $63 |
| Medtronic | 3 | $55 |
| Aroa Biosurgery Incorporated | 2 | $50 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 1 | $28 |
| Checkpoint Surgical, Inc | 1 | $28 |
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | 1 | $23 |
| Genentech USA, Inc. | 1 | $21 |
| Baxter Healthcare | 1 | $21 |
| Grifols USA, LLC | 1 | $18 |
| CSL Behring | 1 | $18 |
| Novartis | 1 | $17 |
| Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA | 1 | $14 |
| Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1 | $14 |
| Intersect ENT, Inc. | 1 | $13 |
| Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1 | $12 |
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
$7,015 in reported general payments places this provider in the 90th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dupixent PenDupilumab | 11 | $41,163 |
| Epinephrine | 14 | $2,544 |
| Fluticasone Propionate | 215 | $2,093 |
| Azelastine Hcl | 89 | $1,486 |
| Fluocinolone Acetonide Oil | 32 | $1,284 |
| Ofloxacin | 24 | $791 |
| Ipratropium Bromide | 31 | $587 |
| Montelukast Sodium | 84 | $576 |
| Cefdinir | 24 | $505 |
| Mometasone Furoate | 18 | $421 |
| Pantoprazole Sodium | 19 | $275 |
| Levofloxacin | 11 | $66 |
| Topiramate | 16 | $64 |
| Diazepam | 12 | $51 |
| Gabapentin | 11 | $46 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hikma Pharmaceuticals USAEpinephrine | $14 | $2,54414 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 90th percentile of 137 otolaryngology providers in Kentucky.
Other otolaryngology in Fort Thomas
- Nathan KemperFort Thomas$6K
- Bryan KrolFort Thomas$2K
- Thomas HigginsLouisville$357K
- Thomas GalLexington$21K
- Andrew GouldLouisville$13K
- Steven ShottsLouisville$12K
- Keith ForwithLouisville$11K
- Skylar TrottLouisville$11K
- Brian HixonLexington$8K
- Ziad KatribLouisville$7K
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.