Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Rene Alvarez, M.D.

Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Physician · Philadelphia, PA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
925 CHESTNUT ST, Philadelphia, PA 19107
2159555050
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1568441129 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. Alvarez 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. Alvarez

Dr. Rene Alvarez is an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology physician in Philadelphia, PA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Alvarez performed 531 Medicare services across 292 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Alvarez received a total of $28,443 from 26 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 199 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology physician. 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. Alvarez 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.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ 531 Medicare services $28,443 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
531
Medicare services
Bottom 32% in PA for advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology physician
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
292
Unique beneficiaries
$69
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~27 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
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.
220 $96 $190
EKG interpretation and report
A standard electrocardiogram test that records the heart's electrical activity using at least 12 leads. The service includes a professional interpretation of the results and a written report.
142 $6 $55
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.
44 $97 $275
Prolonged office E/M service, first 15 minutes
This code is used for additional time spent by a physician beyond the maximum required time of a primary office or outpatient evaluation and management service. It is billed in 15-minute increments based on total time spent on the date of the primary service.
40 $24 $70
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.
26 $138 $360
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 17 $141 $425
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity
Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
15 $107 $245
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.
14 $118 $350
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.
13 $9 $70
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 ↗
$28,443
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $4,063/year across 7 years
Top 8% in PA for advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
26
Companies
199
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
$19,799 (69.6%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$5,756 (20.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$2,888 (10.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$636
2023
$1,180
2022
$1,081
2021
$1,910
2020
$5,598
2019
$15,878
2018
$2,159

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$232
Daxor Corporation
$128
CVRx, Inc.
$88
Abbott Laboratories
$73
PFIZER INC.
$41
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$35
Novo Nordisk Inc
$22
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 70.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$14,137
Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.
$5,972
Abbott Laboratories
$5,188
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$1,079
PFIZER INC.
$345
GE HEALTHCARE
$261
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$181
Cook Medical LLC
$134
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$134
Daxor Corporation
$128
Relypsa, Inc.
$119
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$118
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$103
CVRx, Inc.
$88
AtriCure, Inc.
$79
Amgen Inc.
$75
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$54
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$53
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$39
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$27
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$26
United Therapeutics Corporation
$25
Novo Nordisk Inc
$22
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$22
KCI USA, Inc.
$20
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 88.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(5044) MCOT · ACTIV.A.C. · ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM · BRILINTA · BVA-100 · Barostim Neo System · CAMZYOS · CARDIOMEMS · COOK · CardioMEMS HF System · CareLink Express · ENTRESTO · FARXIGA · HeartMate · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Dev · HeartMate II LVAS · HeartWare HVAD · INJECTAFER · Inpefa · JARDIANCE · LEQVIO · LifeSPARC System · LifeVest · ONPATTRO · OPTIMIZER · Optimizer · RESONATE · Repatha · TEGSEDI · THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · TYVASO · Trifecta GT Tissue Heart Valve · VYNDAMAX · VYNDAQEL · Wegovy
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 (70%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology physician and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 8% for advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology physician in PA.

Looking for an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology physician in Philadelphia?
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Geographic Context

Advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology physicians within 10 mi
21
Per 100K population
1.3
County median income
$60,698
Nearest hospital
THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY 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. Alvarez is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 8% of PA peers, with 20 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. Alvarez experienced with hospital follow-up visit, high complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Alvarez performed 220 hospital follow-up visit, high complexity 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. Alvarez receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Alvarez received a total of $28,443 from 26 companies across 199 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. Alvarez's costs compare to other advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology physicians in Philadelphia?
Dr. Alvarez's average Medicare payment per service is $69. 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. Alvarez) 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 →