Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Christopher Estel, M.D.
Interventional Cardiology · Gainesville, FL
Practice pattern: Electrophysiology & Cardiac
— Practice combining electrophysiology and cardiac services
Low-engagement
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating.
This page presents federal public records about Dr. Estel from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
Are you Dr. Estel?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Estel
Dr. Christopher Estel is an interventional cardiology specialist in Gainesville, FL, with 15 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Estel performed 5,665 Medicare services across 3,881 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Estel received a total of $7,691 from 29 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 269 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in interventional cardiology. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Estel is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 15 years in practice
▲ Top 19% volume in FL
$7,691 industry payments
Florida License Status
FL DOH · MQA1
Active license
None
Board action on record
0
Recent admin complaints
| Profession | License # | Status | Expires | Board Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Doctor | 137098 | Clear | January 31, 2028 | — |
Data from Florida Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance.
License records are public under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
Verify directly on FL DOH →
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗5,665
Medicare services
Top 19% in FL for interventional cardiology
3,881
Unique beneficiaries
$93
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~378 Medicare services per year of practice
Top procedures by volume
Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
919 | $10 | $34 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
814 | $85 | $216 |
| Regadenoson injection (Lexiscan) for heart stress test An injection of regadenoson, a medication used to stress the heart during diagnostic testing. |
572 | $43 | $113 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
216 | $138 | $414 |
| Rubidium rb-82, diagnostic, per study dose, up to 60 millicuries | 194 | $310 | $798 |
| Remote pacemaker monitoring, 90 days Remote assessment of a pacemaker system, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless devices, performed up to 90 days apart. |
183 | $20 | $63 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram under physician supervision and review. |
169 | $51 | $142 |
| Prothrombin time test (blood clotting) A laboratory test that measures how long it takes for blood to clot. This procedure evaluates the body's coagulation process. |
165 | $4 | $11 |
| Technetium Tc-99m sestamibi diagnostic injection A diagnostic injection of technetium Tc-99m sestamibi used for imaging studies. |
132 | $85 | $236 |
| Remote monitoring of implantable heart device, up to 30 days Remote evaluation of an implanted heart or blood vessel monitoring system over a period of up to 30 days. |
127 | $19 | $54 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the blood vessels in the legs or any surgical grafts present. |
123 | $176 | $516 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
120 | $137 | $415 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
102 | $126 | $293 |
| Remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days Remote evaluation of a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the last check. |
101 | $15 | $52 |
| Pacemaker programming, dual lead system Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings. |
90 | $55 | $117 |
| Additional sedation, per 15 minutes Administration of a drug to deepen sedation during a procedure. This code covers each additional 15-minute increment of sedation beyond the initial period. |
88 | $9 | $22 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
86 | $62 | $149 |
| Nuclear stress test of heart muscle A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow to the heart muscle while at rest and during stress. |
83 | $1,150 | $2,954 |
| Cardiac catheterization | 82 | $209 | $682 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
77 | $94 | $213 |
| Remote patient monitoring device, 30 days Initial setup of devices for remote monitoring of body functions with daily data transmission or alerts. This service covers the first 30 days of the monitoring period. |
73 | $37 | $106 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
67 | $64 | $154 |
| Nuclear stress test of heart muscle A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow to the heart muscle at rest and during stress using a special camera. |
66 | $306 | $962 |
| Remote evaluation of implantable defibrillator system Remote assessment of a single, dual, or multiple lead implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the previous evaluation. |
66 | $26 | $111 |
| Physician review of home INR testing A physician reviews, interprets, and manages home INR testing results for patients with mechanical heart valves, chronic atrial fibrillation, or venous thromboembolism who meet Medicare coverage criteria. |
64 | $6 | $18 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
62 | $122 | $334 |
| Midazolam injection, per 1 mg Administration of midazolam hydrochloride, a sedative medication, measured in 1 mg increments. |
58 | $0 | $1 |
| Heart muscle strain imaging | 49 | $27 | $80 |
| Injection, fentanyl citrate, 0.1 mg | 49 | $1 | $1 |
| Continuous external EKG monitoring, 48 hours to 7 days This procedure involves recording the heart's electrical activity continuously using an external device for a period exceeding 48 hours but not more than 7 days. |
45 | $8 | $58 |
| Remote patient monitoring management, 20 min/month Management based on results from remote vital sign monitoring for the first 20 minutes per calendar month. |
45 | $37 | $100 |
| Continuous EKG monitoring review, 48-7 days Review and interpretation of continuous external EKG recordings lasting more than 48 hours up to 7 days. |
42 | $17 | $54 |
| Coagulation time measurement, activated | 38 | $4 | $12 |
| Coronary stent placement A procedure to insert a stent into a coronary artery or its branch to keep it open, using balloon dilation during the process. |
38 | $437 | $1,290 |
| Ultrasound of heart blood vessel or graft An ultrasound exam to evaluate blood flow in a heart blood vessel or graft, including a radiologist's review of the initial vessel. |
32 | $76 | $206 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
30 | $38 | $102 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to create images of the arteries in one leg or any grafts present in that leg. |
25 | $94 | $260 |
| Ultrasound of blood vessel, initial vessel An ultrasound exam of a blood vessel that includes a radiologist's review of the initial vessel. |
23 | $725 | $2,679 |
| External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm. |
23 | $19 | $54 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
21 | $66 | $147 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone. |
21 | $85 | $224 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
20 | $8 | $10 |
| Hemoglobin blood test A blood test that measures the amount of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. |
19 | $2 | $7 |
| Continuous external EKG monitoring, 8-15 days This procedure involves recording heart rhythm continuously using an external EKG device over a period of 8 to 15 days. |
19 | $8 | $58 |
| Basic blood chemical test (calcium, ionized) A blood test that measures basic chemical levels, specifically including calcium and ionized calcium. |
17 | $13 | $23 |
| Red blood cell concentration measurement A laboratory test that measures the concentration of red blood cells in the blood. |
17 | $2 | $7 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
17 | $68 | $208 |
| Follow-up ultrasound of heart blood flow, valves and chambers An ultrasound exam that follows up on the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. It uses sound waves to create images of the heart's structure and function. |
17 | $19 | $54 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
17 | $18 | $50 |
| Programming of multiple lead implantable defibrillator system Adjustment and testing of the settings for an implanted heart device with multiple leads to ensure proper function. |
16 | $76 | $171 |
| Insertion of tube in left lower heart chamber, coronary artery and bypass graft for diagnosis with review by radiologist | 16 | $222 | $731 |
| Remote physiologic monitoring setup and education Initial setup of remote monitoring equipment and patient education on its use. |
16 | $14 | $40 |
| Nuclear stress test with CT scan A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow in the heart muscle at rest and during stress, performed alongside a concurrent CT scan. |
15 | $2,094 | $5,342 |
| PET scan of heart muscle blood flow A nuclear medicine imaging test that uses positron emission tomography (PET) to evaluate blood flow within the heart muscle. |
15 | $139 | $355 |
| Aminophylline injection, up to 250 mg Administration of aminophylline medication via injection for a dose of up to 250 mg. |
14 | $6 | $14 |
| External shock to heart to regulate heart beat A procedure that delivers an electric shock to the heart from outside the body to restore a normal heart rhythm. |
13 | $74 | $322 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while an electrocardiogram is monitored under physician supervision. |
13 | $16 | $45 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram, with physician review of the results. |
13 | $11 | $30 |
| Continuous ECG monitoring with transmission and review Continuous electrocardiogram monitoring for up to 30 days with symptom tracking. The data is transmitted and reviewed by a healthcare professional who provides a report. |
11 | $19 | $52 |
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
14.6% high complexity
25.9% medium
59.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$7,691
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,099/year across 7 years
Bottom 45% in FL for interventional cardiology
29
Companies
269
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$6,950 (90.4%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$715 (9.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$26 (0.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,143
2023
$658
2022
$970
2021
$443
2020
$1,410
2019
$2,116
2018
$950
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Cook Medical LLC
$1,138
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$1,116
Abbott Laboratories
$885
Amgen Inc.
$637
Penumbra, Inc.
$531
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$531
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$379
Medtronic, Inc.
$375
Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
$365
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$330
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$234
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$228
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$147
PFIZER INC.
$146
Boston Scientific Corporation
$114
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$108
ACIST MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
$66
Acist Medical Systems, Inc.
$62
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$60
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$58
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$40
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$29
CARDIVA MEDICAL, INC.
$26
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$22
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$18
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$14
Recor Medical Inc
$13
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$13
Neovasc Medical Inc
$7
Top 3 companies account for 40.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
3F · ADVANCE · ALPHAVAC · AMPLATZ · AURYON LASER SYSTEM 100-120 VAC · AVVIGO Guidance System · Advance · Allura Xper FD 20 · Amplatz · Arcalyst · BEACON TIP TORCON NB · BRILINTA · BYDUREON · CAMZYOS · CARDIVA VASCADE MVP VVCS 6-12F · COOK · COOK MEDICAL CATHETERS · COOK MEDICAL FILTERS · COOK MEDICAL SELF-EXPANDING STENT · COOK MEDICAL ZILVER PTX · COREVALVE EVOLUT R · CVI SYSTEMS · Cook Medical Angioplasty · Cook Medical Catheters · Cook Medical Micropuncture · Cook Medical Peripheral Intervention · Cook Medical Self-Expanding Stent · Cook Medical Wire Guides · Cook Medical Zilver PTX · Corlanor · Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System · DRAGONFLY OPSTAR · Diamondback Peripheral · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Heart Valve · FARXIGA · FFRANGIO · FLEXOR · FORMULA 418 · General - Stents · General - Therapies · HD-IVUS · Halo One Thin-Walled Guiding Sheath · INSPIRE · Indigo · Indigo System · LEQVIO · LUTONIX · LifeVest · Lutonix Drug Coated Balloon · MICROPUNCTURE · Micropuncture · NESTER · ONYX FRONTIER · Omnilink Elite vascular stent system · Optis Coronary Imaging System · PARADISE RENAL DENERVATION SYSTEM · Penumbra System · Perclose ProGlide suture mediated closure system · Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy System · RESONATE EL ICD VR · ROSEN · Repatha · RotarexS 6 F x 135 cm · Ruby · Santyl · TELESCOPE · TORNADO · TRUE FLOW · Telescope · Torcon NB · VENOVO · VIGILANT X4 CRT-D · VYNDAQEL · Vascular Lithotripsy · Venovo · XARELTO · Xience Sierra Coronary Stent · Xience cornary stent systems · ZILVER PTX · Zilver PTX · Zilver Vena
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →
Most payments (90%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $136 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Interventional cardiologists within 10 mi
10
Per 100K population
3.5
County median income
$59,659
Nearest hospital
HCA FLORIDA NORTH FLORIDA HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Estel is an electrophysiology & cardiac specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 19% in FL), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 15 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Estel experienced with electrocardiogram (ekg), 12-lead?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Estel performed 919 electrocardiogram (ekg), 12-lead services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Estel receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Estel received a total of $7,691 from 29 companies across 269 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Estel's costs compare to other interventional cardiologists in Gainesville?
Dr. Estel's average Medicare payment per service is $93. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Estel) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.
This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. The Transparency Score measures data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.
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