Joel Dow Starnes III, M.D., PH.D.
NPI 1568670396ActiveIndividual· Internal Medicine, Nephrology· Lubbock, TX
Internal Medicine, Nephrology (M.D., PH.D.) in Lubbock, Texas, trained at Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine (class of 2002). Their prescriptions cost Medicare Part D more than their services did: $726,429 for 1,015 claims, against $165,638 paid for services in 2024. Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. was the largest of 12 companies reporting payments in 2025, $645.26 in all, mostly food and beverage.
Overview
| NPI | 1568670396 |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Entity type | Individual |
| Credential | M.D., PH.D. |
| Sole proprietor | No |
| NPI issued | May 17, 2007 |
| Last updated in NPPES | Oct 28, 2011 |
Specialties and licenses
| Taxonomy | Code | License | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Medicine, Nephrology Primary | 207RN0300X | L8965 | TX |
Exclusion screening
| List | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| HHS-OIG LEIE · Nov 10, 2026 | No match | Checked by NPI and by name + state |
| North Carolina Medicaid · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| New York OMIG · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Ohio Medicaid · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Pennsylvania Medicheck · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Washington HCA · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
Official OIG search · How matching works ·Bulk check a roster
Medicare
| Enrollment (PECOS) | Enrolled Practitioner - Nephrology (NM); Practitioner - Nephrology (TX) |
|---|---|
| Accepts assignment | Yes (participating) |
Medicare services in 2024
| Medicare patients | 301 |
|---|---|
| Services billed | 1,968 across 37 procedure codes |
| Paid by Medicare | $165,638 |
Part D prescriptions in 2024
| Prescriptions (claims) | 1,015 · 2,195 30-day fills |
|---|---|
| Patients | 178 |
| Total drug cost | $726,429 |
| Generic share | 79% of claims |
Education and affiliations
| Medical school | Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Medicine |
|---|---|
| Graduation year | 2002 |
| Medicare specialty | Nephrology |
| Secondary specialties | Internal Medicine |
| Telehealth | Offers telehealth |
Medical group
- Covenant Medical GroupLubbock, TX · 233 clinicians
Hospital affiliations
- Covenant Childrens HospitalLubbock, TX
- Covenant Hospital PlainviewPlainview, TX
- Covenant Medical CenterLubbock, TX
- Grace Surgical HospitalLubbock, TX
Other facilities
- Dialysis Center of LubbockDialysis facility · Lubbock, TX
- Fmc Dialysis Services PlainviewDialysis facility · Plainview, TX
- Fresenius Medical Care LubbockDialysis facility · Lubbock, TX
- Usrc LubbockDialysis facility · Lubbock, TX
- Usrc North Lubbock DialysisDialysis facility · Lubbock, TX
Industry payments (Open Payments)
- 2025$645.26 · 29 payments from 12 companies
- 2024$1,584 · 57 payments from 11 companies
Top paying companies in 2025
| Company | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. | $143.22 | 6 |
| Travere Therapeutics, Inc. | $77.40 | 3 |
| Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | $75.40 | 4 |
| Amgen Inc. | $68.66 | 3 |
| Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc. | $65.09 | 3 |
What the 2025 payments were for
- Food and Beverage$645.26 · 29 payments
Receiving payments does not imply wrongdoing. What Open Payments covers ·original records
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All 23 nephrologists in Lubbock · All nephrologists in Texas