Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Rafael Garza Castillon, M.D.

Thoracic Surgery · Chicago, IL
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
675 N SAINT CLAIR ST FL 17, Chicago, IL 60611
3126953800
In practice since 2017 (9 years)
NPI: 1720510597 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Garza Castillon 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 →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Garza Castillon

Dr. Rafael Garza Castillon is a thoracic surgery specialist in Chicago, IL, with 9 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Garza Castillon performed 53 Medicare services across 39 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Garza Castillon received a total of $5,628 from 2 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 18 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in thoracic surgery. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Garza Castillon is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 9 years in practice ▲ 53 Medicare services $5,628 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
53
Medicare services
Bottom 13% in IL for thoracic surgery
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
39
Unique beneficiaries
$71
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~6 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
Bronchial irrigation and suction for cell collection
This procedure uses an endoscope to flush and suction the lung airways in order to collect cells for testing.
 29 $12 $764
Lung biopsy via endoscope, 1 lobe
A procedure to remove a small sample of lung tissue from one lobe using an endoscope for examination.
 24 $143 $994
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.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2022 ↗
$5,628
Total received (2020-2022)
Avg $1,876/year across 3 years
Top 38% in IL for thoracic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
2
Companies
18
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$4,033 (71.7%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,595 (28.3%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2022
$1,512
2021
$83
2020
$4,033

Payments by company (2022)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$1,512
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2022 payments
All-time payments by company (2020-2022) ›
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$5,545
Medtronic, Inc.
$83
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Da Vinci Surgical System · Signia
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 →

The majority of payments (72%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in thoracic surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Looking for a thoracic surgery specialist in Chicago?
Compare thoracic surgerists in the Chicago area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Thoracic surgerists within 10 mi
148
Per 100K population
2.9
County median income
$81,797
Nearest hospital
NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
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 2022
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 reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Garza Castillon is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Garza Castillon experienced with bronchial irrigation and suction for cell collection?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Garza Castillon performed 29 bronchial irrigation and suction for cell collection 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. Garza Castillon receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Garza Castillon received a total of $5,628 from 2 companies across 18 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. Garza Castillon's costs compare to other thoracic surgerists in Chicago?
Dr. Garza Castillon's average Medicare payment per service is $71. 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. Garza Castillon) 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. Data Coverage reflects 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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →