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Scott Merkley, MD

Gastroenterology · Lexington, KYNPI 1629270814

Payments from drug & device makers

$17,732in general payments, 2019–2025

Across 1,054 payments — averaging $16.82 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.

  • AbbVie$4K
  • Salix Pharmaceuticals, A Division Of Bausch Health US, LLC$3K
  • Johnson & Johnson$2K
  • Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.$1K
  • Gilead$902
  • Pfizer$725
  • plus $6K from 37 others

What the payments were for

  • Food & beverage$17,61099%
  • Education$1221%

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

19
20
21
22
23
24
25

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.

How this compares

$17,732 in reported general payments places this provider in the 85th percentile of 207 gastroenterology providers in Kentucky.

See all gastroenterology providers in Kentucky

Medicare billing

Part B allowed, 2024
$109,741
Medicare patients
392
Services billed
1,719

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

DrugClaimsCost to plans & patients
XifaxanRifaximin19$54,217
CreonLipase/Protease/Amylase18$41,164
LinzessLinaclotide26$26,201
TrulancePlecanatide15$12,535
MotegrityPrucalopride Succinate13$6,240
Sod Sulf-Potass Sulf-Mag SulfSodium, Potassium,mag Sulfates76$5,361
Gavilyte-GPeg3350/Sod Sulf,bicarb,cl/Kcl289$4,666
Lubiprostone18$2,968
SutabSod Sulf/Pot Chloride/Mag Sulf15$2,478
Budesonide DrBudesonide28$2,438
ClenpiqSod Picosulf/Mag Ox/Citric Ac12$2,001
Omeprazole205$1,700
PlenvuPeg3350/Sod Sul/Nacl/Kcl/Asb/C12$1,659
Peg-3350 And ElectrolytesPeg3350/Sod Sulf,bicarb,cl/Kcl91$1,515
Colestipol Hcl20$1,495

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.

CompanyPaid to this providerPart D cost of their drugs
Salix Pharmaceuticals, A Division Of Bausch Health US, LLCXifaxan, Trulance, Plenvu$3,290$68,41146 claims
AbbVieCreon, Linzess$3,780$67,36544 claims
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.Motegrity$1,489$6,24013 claims
Braintree Laboratories, Inc.Sutab$321$2,47815 claims
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.Clenpiq$433$2,00112 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 85th percentile of 207 gastroenterology providers in Kentucky.

Other gastroenterology in Lexington

See the full list for Kentucky

Where these figures come from

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