Dr. Allen Elster, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Elster
Dr. Allen Elster is a critical care medicine specialist in Asheville, NC, with 15 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Elster performed 969 Medicare services across 813 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Elster received a total of $1,907 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 96 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in critical care medicine. 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. Elster 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical care, first 30-74 min Emergency medical care for a critically ill or injured patient lasting between 30 and 74 minutes. This service involves direct patient care and medical decision making to stabilize the patient. |
152 | $160 | $645 |
| 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. |
139 | $92 | $154 |
| Lung volume test using gas dilution or washout A test that measures the amount of air in your lungs by using a gas dilution or washout method. |
99 | $32 | $132 |
| Pulmonary gas exchange test A test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases. |
99 | $42 | $174 |
| Expiratory airflow and volume test A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed at which you can breathe it out. It evaluates lung function by assessing expiratory airflow and volume. |
96 | $19 | $107 |
| Chest X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the chest that captures two different angles to visualize the lungs, heart, and chest wall. |
56 | $26 | $118 |
| 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. |
56 | $123 | $224 |
| 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. |
55 | $91 | $150 |
| 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. |
46 | $62 | $105 |
| 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. |
29 | $123 | $244 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 25 | $153 | $318 |
| Bronchoscopy A procedure to examine the airways inside the lungs using a thin, flexible tube with a camera. |
18 | $6 | $521 |
| Lung biopsy via endoscope, 1 lobe A procedure to remove a small sample of lung tissue from one lobe using an endoscope for examination. |
18 | $37 | $678 |
| Endoscopic needle biopsy of windpipe, airway, or lung A procedure where a needle is inserted through an endoscope to collect tissue samples from the windpipe, airway, or lung. |
18 | $131 | $727 |
| Bronchoscopy with ultrasound and growth treatment A procedure using a flexible tube with a camera and ultrasound to examine the lung airways and treat any growths found. |
18 | $48 | $238 |
| Computer-assisted navigation of lung airways This procedure uses computer technology to guide an endoscope through the airways of the lungs for precise navigation. |
17 | $69 | $349 |
| Placement of radiation therapy markers in lung airways A procedure where small markers are placed into the airways of the lung using an endoscope to assist with radiation therapy targeting. |
16 | $79 | $716 |
| Bronchoscopy with ultrasound and lymph node sampling A procedure using an endoscope and ultrasound to examine the lung airways and collect samples from 1 to 2 lymph nodes. |
12 | $91 | $779 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2023 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2023)
All-time payments by company (2018-2023) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (94%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
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 2023 |
| 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. Elster is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 26% in NC), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 15 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. Elster experienced with critical care, first 30-74 min?
Does Dr. Elster receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Elster's costs compare to other critical care medicines in Asheville?
What does Data Coverage mean?
Is this data up to date?
Explore related providers
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