Joshua Yelverton, MD
Otolaryngology · Gastonia, NCNPI 1003043399
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
Almost everything reported here is food and beverage — 100.0% of the total across 33 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 Stryker at 27.9% of the total. 2025 is the largest year on record at $263, 2.3 times the $113 reported in 2019. That places this record below the midpoint for otolaryngology clinicians in NC, where the typical reported total is $856.
Across 33 payments — averaging $25.08 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Stryker$231
- Integra Lifesciences Corporation$150
- Acclarent, Inc$122
- Optinose US, Inc.$100
- Sanofi$80
- Smith+Nephew$42
- plus $102 from 5 others
What the payments were for
- Food & beverage$828100%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Stryker | 10 | $231 |
| Integra Lifesciences Corporation | 1 | $150 |
| Acclarent, Inc | 6 | $122 |
| Optinose US, Inc. | 5 | $100 |
| Sanofi | 2 | $80 |
| Smith+Nephew | 2 | $42 |
| Aerin Medical Inc. | 2 | $28 |
| Intersect ENT, Inc. | 2 | $24 |
| Davol Inc. | 1 | $23 |
| Merck | 1 | $15 |
| AstraZeneca | 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.
- Acclarent Aera$150
- Inspira Air$150
- RELIEVA SPINPLUS NAV$150
- TruDi Probe$150
How this compares
$828 in reported general payments places this provider in the 45th percentile of 362 otolaryngology providers in North 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ipratropium Bromide | 267 | $6,661 |
| Azelastine Hcl | 216 | $4,399 |
| Fluticasone Propionate | 259 | $3,228 |
| Famotidine | 352 | $2,655 |
| Fluocinolone Acetonide Oil | 34 | $1,735 |
| Montelukast Sodium | 189 | $1,242 |
| Ofloxacin | 62 | $901 |
| Pilocarpine Hcl | 18 | $885 |
| Amoxicillin-Clavulanate PotassAmoxicillin/Potassium Clav | 45 | $464 |
| Omeprazole | 42 | $449 |
| Clarithromycin | 14 | $334 |
| Prednisone | 121 | $333 |
| Doxycycline Hyclate | 20 | $215 |
| Mupirocin | 29 | $193 |
| Sulfamethoxazole-TrimethoprimSulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim | 38 | $184 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other otolaryngology in Gastonia
- David JangDurham$324K
- Robert FerrisRaleigh$258K
- Adam ZanationHickory$227K
- Brent SeniorChapel Hill$91K
- Charles EbertChapel Hill$57K
- Adam CampbellWinston Salem$47K
- Harold PillsburyChapel Hill$42K
- John BuentingSylva$30K
- Brendan O ConnellCharlotte$28K
- Nicholas ThompsonChapel Hill$24K
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.