Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Rene Vela, MD
Family Medicine · Alamo, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Vela 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. Vela
Dr. Rene Vela is a family medicine specialist in Alamo, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Vela performed 2,532 Medicare services across 1,076 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Vela received a total of $2,064 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 75 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family 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. Vela 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 10% volume in TX
$2,064 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,532
Medicare services
Top 10% in TX for family medicine
1,076
Unique beneficiaries
$39
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~133 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 (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. |
480 | $83 | $170 |
| 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. |
435 | $61 | $100 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
398 | $0 | $8 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
380 | $8 | $15 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
149 | $9 | $40 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
81 | $124 | $180 |
| Virtual check-in for established patient A brief communication service provided by a qualified healthcare professional to an established patient via technology, such as a virtual check-in. |
80 | $10 | $62 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
71 | $13 | $30 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
53 | $10 | $25 |
| COVID-19 amplified DNA/RNA probe detection A laboratory test that uses amplified DNA or RNA probes to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) antigen. |
39 | $50 | $75 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
38 | $8 | $49 |
| Urine microalbumin test A laboratory test that measures the amount of a specific protein called microalbumin in a urine sample. This analysis helps assess kidney function. |
37 | $6 | $20 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
37 | $5 | $45 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
36 | $30 | $55 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
31 | $3 | $15 |
| Transitional care management, high complexity Coordination of care for a patient transitioning from a short-term hospital stay or other facility to home or another care setting. This service addresses a high-complexity medical problem. |
31 | $188 | $240 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 20 mg A 20 mg injection of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
21 | $4 | $25 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) of hip, pelvis, and spine This test measures bone density in the hip, pelvis, and spine to assess bone strength. It also includes an assessment for spine fractures. |
20 | $49 | $98 |
| 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. |
19 | $65 | $140 |
| Quadrivalent influenza vaccine, cell culture-derived A flu shot that protects against four strains of the influenza virus. It is produced using cell culture technology rather than traditional egg-based methods. |
18 | $32 | $55 |
| Diabetic neuropathy follow-up visit A follow-up evaluation for a diabetic patient with sensory neuropathy and loss of protective sensation. The visit includes a patient history and a physical examination. |
18 | $26 | $65 |
| Quadrivalent influenza vaccine, cell-culture derived A flu shot containing four strains of influenza virus, produced using cell culture technology rather than eggs. This formulation is free from preservatives and antibiotics. |
17 | $33 | $55 |
| 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. |
17 | $11 | $60 |
| Fecal immunochemical test (FIT), 1-3 simultaneous A screening test that uses a stool sample to detect hidden blood in the feces, helping to identify potential colorectal cancer. |
14 | $18 | $80 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
12 | $40 | $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 ↗$2,064
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $295/year across 7 years
Top 26% in TX for family medicine
22
Companies
75
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
$1,999 (96.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$65 (3.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$192
2023
$425
2022
$321
2021
$358
2020
$86
2019
$348
2018
$334
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novo Nordisk Inc
$587
BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
$254
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$231
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$188
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$150
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$113
PFIZER INC.
$99
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$85
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$45
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$44
Mannkind Corporation
$36
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$33
Amgen Inc.
$31
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$28
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$28
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$23
Exact Sciences Corporation
$21
Lilly USA, LLC
$15
Abbott Laboratories
$14
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$14
Corium, LLC
$12
Elevate Oral Care
$11
Top 3 companies account for 52.0% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AFREZZA · ANORO ELLIPTA · AREXVY · Adlarity · Auvelity · BREO · BREZTRI · CHANTIX · COLOGUARD · COLOGUARD DNA CAPTURE REAGENTS · Cologuard Collection Kit · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · FARXIGA · Fluorimax 5000 1.1% NaF Toothpaste · FreeStyle Libre 2 · JARDIANCE · Kerendia · LUTONIX · LYRICA · MYRBETRIQ · Myrbetriq · Otezla · Ozempic · PREMARIN · REXULTI · RYBELSUS · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SOLIQUA 100/33 · TOUJEO · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · Tresiba · VENOVO · Vascepa · Victoza · XARELTO
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 (97%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $82 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
264
Per 100K population
30.0
County median income
$52,281
Nearest hospital
RIO GRANDE REGIONAL HOSPITAL
8.0 mi
8.0 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. Vela is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 10% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 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. Vela experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Vela performed 480 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Vela receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Vela received a total of $2,064 from 22 companies across 75 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. Vela's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Alamo?
Dr. Vela's average Medicare payment per service is $39. 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. Vela) 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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