Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Melvin Wichter, M.D.

Neurology · Palos Heights, IL
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
11824 SOUTHWEST HWY, Palos Heights, IL 60463
7083610222
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1871503623 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. Wichter 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. Wichter? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Wichter

Dr. Melvin Wichter is a neurology specialist in Palos Heights, IL, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Wichter performed 392 Medicare services across 347 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Wichter received a total of $13,444 from 60 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 594 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurology. 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. Wichter 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ 392 Medicare services $13,444 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
392
Medicare services
Bottom 44% in IL for neurology
347
Unique beneficiaries
$75
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~21 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
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.
130 $65 $178
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.
126 $83 $259
New patient office visit (30-44 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range.
47 $82 $235
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.
25 $121 $352
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.
25 $122 $366
Blood draw (venipuncture)
Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample.
24 $8 $22
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
15 $31 $118
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 2024 ↗
$13,444
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,921/year across 7 years
Top 18% in IL for neurology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
60
Companies
594
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
$13,145 (97.8%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$299 (2.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$4,208
2023
$3,683
2022
$2,780
2021
$530
2020
$233
2019
$723
2018
$1,287

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$585
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$564
MDD US Operations, LLC
$376
PFIZER INC.
$338
EMD Serono, Inc.
$299
UCB, Inc.
$196
Celgene Corporation
$189
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$184
BANNER LIFE SCIENCES, LLC
$182
Biogen, Inc.
$153
CATALYST PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$142
Lilly USA, LLC
$138
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$122
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$87
ARGENX US, INC.
$85
Genentech USA, Inc.
$83
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$82
SK Life Science, Inc.
$56
CSL Behring
$48
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$36
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$35
Aucta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$34
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$30
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$27
Neurelis, Inc.
$25
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$24
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$22
Grifols USA, LLC
$19
Lundbeck LLC
$18
Eisai Inc.
$16
Amgen Inc.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 36.2% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Biogen, Inc.
$1,576
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,345
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$850
ABBVIE INC.
$784
PFIZER INC.
$652
Celgene Corporation
$623
AbbVie Inc.
$547
UCB, Inc.
$481
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$447
MDD US Operations, LLC
$428
EMD Serono, Inc.
$424
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$407
Lilly USA, LLC
$342
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc
$319
Genentech USA, Inc.
$310
ARGENX US, INC.
$304
SK Life Science, Inc.
$262
BANNER LIFE SCIENCES, LLC
$242
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$237
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$231
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$212
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$173
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$160
Amgen Inc.
$155
CATALYST PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$142
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$137
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$134
Eisai Inc.
$134
EISAI INC.
$100
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$87
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$80
Penumbra, Inc.
$79
Lundbeck LLC
$79
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$73
Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$70
Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$63
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$59
GENZYME CORPORATION
$54
AbbVie, Inc.
$52
CSL Behring
$48
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$45
Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.
$43
Banner Life Sciences, LLC
$38
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$36
Cala Health, Inc.
$35
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$35
Aucta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$34
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$32
Grifols USA, LLC
$32
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$28
Neurelis, Inc.
$25
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$24
Allergan Inc.
$23
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$22
Corium, LLC
$21
Harmony Biosciences LLC
$17
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$15
OWP Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Genentech, Inc.
$13
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$13
Top 3 companies account for 28.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · AFINITOR · AJOVY · AMPYRA · AMYVID · APTIOM · AUBAGIO · AUSTEDO · AVONEX · Adlarity · Aimovig · Apokyn · Austedo XR · BAFIERTAM · BOTOX · Betaseron · Briviact · CALA TRIO · COMIRNATY · COPAXONE · DUOPA · Duopa · EMGALITY · Enspryng · FYCOMPA · Fycompa · GAMMAGARD · GILENYA · GOCOVRI · Gamunex-C · HYQVIA · Hizentra · INBRIJA · INGREZZA · KESIMPTA · KEVEYIS · KISUNLA · LEMTRADA · LYRICA · Lamotrigine Starter Kit · Leqembi · MAVENCLAD · MAYZENT · Mavenclad · Motpoly XR · NORTHERA · NOURIANZ · NUEDEXTA · NUPLAZID · NURTEC ODT · Nayzilam · OCREVUS · OCTAGAM IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HUMAN) · ONFI · ONGENTYS · OXTELLAR XR · Ocrevus · Ocrevus Zunovo · PLEGRIDY · POMPE - DISEASE · PONVORY · Penumbra System · Ponvory · QULIPTA · Qelbree · RYTARY · Rebif · Reveal LINQ · Rystiggo · SOLIRIS · SUNOSI · Soliris · Solitaire · TECFIDERA · TEGSEDI · TROKENDI XR · TYSABRI · Tysabri · UBRELVY · ULTOMIRIS · UPLIZNA · VALTOCO · VNS THERAPY SENTIVA MODEL 1000 GENERATOR · VNS Therapy · VNS Therapy SenTiva Model 1000 Generator · VRAYLAR · VUMERITY · VYALEV · VYEPTI · VYVGART · VYVGART HYTRULO · Vimpat · WAKIX · XCOPRI · XYWAV · ZEPOSIA
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 (98%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for a neurology specialist in Palos Heights?
Compare neurologists in the Palos Heights area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse neurologists nearby

Geographic Context

Neurologists within 10 mi
548
Per 100K population
10.6
County median income
$81,797
Nearest hospital
PALOS COMMUNITY 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 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 reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Wichter is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 18% of IL peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Wichter experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Wichter performed 130 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 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. Wichter receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Wichter received a total of $13,444 from 60 companies across 594 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. Wichter's costs compare to other neurologists in Palos Heights?
Dr. Wichter's average Medicare payment per service is $75. 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. Wichter) 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 →
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 →