Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Kolze, MD

Surgery · Amarillo, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
1000 S COULTER ST STE 200, Amarillo, TX 79106
8062126604
In practice since 2012 (13 years)
NPI: 1912260209 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. Kolze 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. Kolze? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Kolze

Dr. Christopher Kolze is a surgery in Amarillo, TX, with 13 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kolze performed 529 Medicare services across 499 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kolze received a total of $4,883 from 19 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 50 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. 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. Kolze 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.

✓ 13 years in practice▲ Top 15% volume in TX$ $4,883 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
529
Medicare services
Top 15% in TX for surgery
499
Unique beneficiaries
$51
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~41 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Ultrasound of both sides of head and neck blood flow105$27$65
Ultrasound study of arm or leg veins with compression and maneuvers61$24$76
Ultrasound study of one arm or leg veins with compression and maneuvers54$14$60
Ultrasound of leg arteries or artery grafts53$23$86
Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity46$37$85
Ultrasound study of arm and leg arteries44$8$28
New patient office visit (45-59 min)35$122$350
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity33$84$300
Complete ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts28$24$86
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)17$140$310
Ultrasound of one leg arteries or artery grafts16$17$53
New patient office visit (30-44 min)14$81$230
Laparoscopic gallbladder removal12$508$1,825
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)11$95$230
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.
5.3% high complexity
62.9% medium
31.8% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$4,883
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $814/year across 6 years
Top 41% in TX for surgery
19
Companies
50
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
$3,067 (62.8%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$1,816 (37.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$98
2023
$2,289
2022
$2,000
2021
$396
2020
$20
2019
$80

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$4,088
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$283
CONMED Corporation
$86
Heron Therapeutics, Inc.
$81
Ethicon US, LLC
$44
Medtronic, Inc.
$39
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$35
Baudax Bio Inc.
$34
Davol Inc.
$32
BAUDAX BIO INC.
$22
VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INCORPORATED
$20
EISAI INC.
$20
Innocoll Pharmaceuticals Limited
$17
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$17
Bioventus LLC
$17
ACELL, INC.
$15
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$13
KCI USA, Inc
$12
Lifenet Health
$10
Top 3 companies account for 91.3% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ABRE · AIRSEAL · ANJESO · BRIDION · CODMAN CERTAS · CONMED SPECIMEN RETRIEVAL · DAVINCI XI · Da Vinci Surgical System · Enseal · Enseal X1 · LIGASURE · Lenvima · PICO7 · Phasix · STRAVIX · TheraGenesis Wound Matrix · VAC VERAFLO · XARACOLL · Zynrelef
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 (63%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $923 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a surgery in Amarillo?
Compare surgerys in the Amarillo area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Surgerys within 10 mi
33
Per 100K population
28.3
County median income
$50,448
Nearest hospital
NORTHWEST TEXAS HOSPITAL
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/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. Kolze is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 15% in TX), and low-engagement industry engagement.

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. Kolze experienced with ultrasound of both sides of head and neck blood flow?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kolze performed 105 ultrasound of both sides of head and neck blood flow 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. Kolze receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kolze received a total of $4,883 from 19 companies across 50 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. Kolze's costs compare to other surgerys in Amarillo?
Dr. Kolze's average Medicare payment per service is $51. 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. Kolze) 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. 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.

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 →