Mark Nichols, MD
Otology & Neurotology · Houston, TXNPI 1215910732
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
This record is dominated by food and beverage: $3,738 of the $4,538 with a category attached, or 82.4%. 15 manufacturers reported payments, led by Cochlear Americas at 33.9% of the total. Reporting peaked in 2022 at $1,401 and has fallen 59.2% since, to $572 in 2025.
Across 42 payments — averaging $108.05 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Cochlear Americas$2K
- Aerin Medical Inc.$690
- Acclarent, Inc$480
- Optinose US, Inc.$391
- Sanofi$247
- Intersect ENT, Inc.$241
- plus $950 from 9 others
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$80018%
- Food & beverage$3,73882%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cochlear Americas | 9 | $1,539 |
| Aerin Medical Inc. | 5 | $690 |
| Acclarent, Inc | 4 | $480 |
| Optinose US, Inc. | 9 | $391 |
| Sanofi | 2 | $247 |
| Intersect ENT, Inc. | 3 | $241 |
| Integra Lifesciences Corporation | 1 | $158 |
| Medtronic | 2 | $150 |
| Arrinex, Inc. | 1 | $131 |
| Grifols USA, LLC | 1 | $125 |
| GSK | 1 | $114 |
| ARS Pharmaceuticals Operations, Inc. | 1 | $112 |
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. | 1 | $111 |
| Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1 | $31 |
| Lilly USA, LLC | 1 | $18 |
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.
- Cochlear$1,853
- Baha$1,056
- VIVAER STYLUS$434
- RHINAER STYLUS$434
- Acclarent Aera$428
- DUPIXENT$358
- Xhance$319
- Cochlear Nucleus CI632 cochlear implant with Slim Modiolar electrode$242
- Inspira Air$158
- RELIEVA SPINPLUS NAV$158
- TruDi Probe$158
- Vivaer RF Stylus$152
- PROPEL$149
- CLARIFIX$131
- OSIA OSI300 IMPLANT$130
- ACCLARENT ENT ULTIRRA/NAVWIRE 3-GUIDE Bundle$129
- NUVENT$128
- Xembify$125
- NUCALA$114
- NEFFY$112
How this compares
$4,538 in reported general payments places this provider in the 80th percentile of 33 otology & neurotology 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 | 345 | $8,958 |
| Ipratropium Bromide | 62 | $4,627 |
| Azelastine Hcl | 94 | $4,447 |
| Omeprazole | 174 | $3,149 |
| Pantoprazole Sodium | 102 | $2,246 |
| Fluocinolone Acetonide Oil | 31 | $1,967 |
| Ciprofloxacin-DexamethasoneCiprofloxacin Hcl/Dexameth | 14 | $1,680 |
| Tobramycin-DexamethasoneTobramycin/Dexamethasone | 26 | $1,178 |
| Esomeprazole Magnesium | 15 | $946 |
| Mometasone Furoate | 22 | $941 |
| Ofloxacin | 69 | $817 |
| CefuroximeCefuroxime Axetil | 30 | $641 |
| Acetic Acid | 21 | $640 |
| Doxycycline Hyclate | 69 | $637 |
| Montelukast Sodium | 52 | $632 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other otology & neurotology in Houston
- Vivian KaulHouston$6K
- Kenny LinHouston$2K
- George McReynoldsHouston$2K
- Nathan LindquistHouston$2K
- Marc Elie NaderHouston$1K
- Angela PengHouston$637
- Chenxi YouHouston$541
- Bechara GhorayebHouston$215
- Brandon IsaacsonDallas$98K
- Joe KutzDallas$95K
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.