Thomas Higgins, MD
Otolaryngology · Louisville, KYNPI 1750543237
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
This record is dominated by speaking fees: $246,130 of the $356,708 with a category attached, or 69.0%. 32 manufacturers reported payments, led by Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. at 42.4% of the total. Reporting peaked in 2023 at $78,755 and has fallen 56.4% since, to $34,321 in 2025. Among otolaryngology clinicians in KY 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 626 payments — averaging $569.82 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.$151K
- Sanofi$93K
- Optinose US, Inc.$63K
- Regeneron$14K
- Merck$7K
- Genentech USA, Inc.$6K
- plus $21K from 26 others
Across 100 payments — averaging $6320.45 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.
- Intersect ENT, Inc.$160K
- Spirair, Inc.$135K
- Optinose US, Inc.$100K
- Aerin Medical Inc.$82K
- Neurent Medical Limited$68K
- GSK$36K
- plus $50K from 3 others
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$49,68414%
- Speaking & faculty fees$246,13069%
- Travel & lodging$40,14111%
- Food & beverage$20,7276%
- Education$260%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. | 188 | $151,409 |
| Sanofi | 83 | $93,219 |
| Optinose US, Inc. | 130 | $63,318 |
| Regeneron | 11 | $14,012 |
| Merck | 14 | $7,463 |
| Genentech USA, Inc. | 7 | $6,444 |
| AstraZeneca | 17 | $5,986 |
| Stryker | 53 | $5,938 |
| Medtronic(2 entities) | 20 | $3,671 |
| Aerin Medical Inc. | 13 | $1,312 |
| GSK | 32 | $1,093 |
| 3-d Matrix, Inc. | 2 | $780 |
| Intersect ENT, Inc. | 13 | $544 |
| Acclarent, Inc | 5 | $392 |
| Biotissue Holdings Inc. | 3 | $200 |
| Smith+Nephew | 4 | $182 |
| Sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC | 6 | $111 |
| Integra Lifesciences Corporation | 5 | $102 |
| Axogen | 1 | $100 |
| Acera Surgical, Inc. | 1 | $78 |
| Pharming Healthcare, Inc. | 3 | $70 |
| Neurent Medical Limited | 3 | $64 |
| Novartis | 2 | $43 |
| Amgen | 2 | $40 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 1 | $27 |
| Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1 | $20 |
| Vertex | 1 | $20 |
| Alk-abello, Inc | 1 | $18 |
| Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA | 1 | $15 |
| Spirair, Inc. | 1 | $15 |
| Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1 | $15 |
| Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1 | $7 |
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.
- DUPIXENT$248,597
- Xhance$61,827
- XOLAIR$6,348
- TEZSPIRE$5,602
- LATERA$2,975
- PROPEL$2,697
- VIVAER STYLUS$970
- RHINAER STYLUS$970
- NUCALA$607
- ENTELLUS - XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM$517
- ENTELLUS - FIAGON SINUS NAVIGATION SYSTEM$392
- COLORADO$290
- FIAGON NAVIGATION UNIT$286
- SCOPIS ENT$277
- FUSION$252
- TruDi Nav Cable$236
- STEALTHSTATION S8 PLATFORM$157
- XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM$119
- NUVENT$116
- SINUVA$115
How this compares
$356,708 in reported general payments places this provider in the 95th 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 | 30 | $117,507 |
| XhanceFluticasone Propionate | 12 | $8,538 |
| Azelastine Hcl | 102 | $2,284 |
| Ipratropium Bromide | 65 | $2,011 |
| Fluticasone Propionate | 137 | $1,628 |
| CefuroximeCefuroxime Axetil | 48 | $1,081 |
| Doxycycline Hyclate | 80 | $947 |
| Pantoprazole Sodium | 35 | $617 |
| Amoxicillin-Clavulanate PotassAmoxicillin/Potassium Clav | 46 | $497 |
| Ondansetron OdtOndansetron | 34 | $409 |
| Prednisone | 113 | $328 |
| Omeprazole | 31 | $259 |
| Ciprofloxacin Hcl | 21 | $224 |
| Mupirocin | 29 | $224 |
| Hydrocodone-AcetaminophenHydrocodone/Acetaminophen | 27 | $173 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Optinose US, Inc.Xhance | $63,318 | $8,53812 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 137 otolaryngology providers in Kentucky.
Other otolaryngology in Louisville
- Andrew GouldLouisville$13K
- Steven ShottsLouisville$12K
- Keith ForwithLouisville$11K
- Skylar TrottLouisville$11K
- Ziad KatribLouisville$7K
- Amy IngramLouisville$7K
- Kevin PottsLouisville$7K
- Gregory AbbasLouisville$6K
- Travis ShuttLouisville$6K
- Matthew YantisLouisville$5K
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.