Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Craig Fichandler, M.D.

Otolaryngology · Amarillo, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
6830 PLUM CREEK DR, Amarillo, TX 79124
8063559999
In practice since 2008 (17 years)
NPI: 1316113780 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. Fichandler 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. Fichandler? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Fichandler

Dr. Craig Fichandler is an otolaryngology in Amarillo, TX, with 17 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Fichandler performed 892 Medicare services across 774 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Fichandler received a total of $2,829 from 25 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 107 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in otolaryngology. 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. Fichandler 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.

✓ 17 years in practice▲ Top 42% volume in TX$ $2,829 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
892
Medicare services
Top 42% in TX for otolaryngology
774
Unique beneficiaries
$59
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~52 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
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)182$59$180
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)147$84$275
Test to assess middle ear function135$11$40
Comprehensive hearing and speech recognition test134$25$90
New patient office visit (45-59 min)107$105$346
New patient office visit (30-44 min)68$66$190
Diagnostic exam of voice box using a flexible endoscope43$85$235
Diagnostic exam of nasal passages using an endoscope33$121$613
Removal of impacted ear wax30$30$96
Ultrasound scan of head and neck soft tissue13$65$350
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 ↗
$2,829
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $404/year across 7 years
Top 31% in TX for otolaryngology
25
Companies
107
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
$2,829 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$434
2023
$667
2022
$825
2021
$240
2020
$133
2019
$364
2018
$166

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Acclarent, Inc
$480
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$428
Stryker Corporation
$322
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$317
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$284
GENZYME CORPORATION
$260
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$138
Cochlear Americas
$86
OptiNose US, Inc.
$82
Medtronic, Inc.
$59
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$44
Aerin Medical Inc.
$42
Intersect ENT, Inc.
$37
Itamar Medical Inc
$35
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$32
ALK-Abello, Inc
$30
Olympus America Inc.
$24
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$22
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$19
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$19
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$16
Boston Scientific Corporation
$15
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$14
Carestream Dental, LLC
$14
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$11
Top 3 companies account for 43.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCLARENT Balloon Inflation Device · ACCLARENT NAVWIRE Sinus Navigation Guidewire · ACCLARENT SE Inflation Device · ADVANTAGE FIT · BRIDION · CIPRODEX · CONSUMABLES · Coblation Wands · Cochlear · DUPIXENT · ENTELLUS - XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM · HALO · INC. · INSPIRE · Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation System · MEDLINE INDUSTRIES · NUCALA · Nucleus · Olympus · Otiprio · Otovel · PROPEL · RELIEVA SPINPLUS · SCOPIS ENT · SPIROX - LATERA · STEALTH AUTOGUIDE SYSTEM · STEALTHSTATION S8 PLATFORM · TruDi NAV Cable · TruDi Navigation System · VNS THERAPY SENTIVA MODEL 1000 GENERATOR · VOQUEZNA · WatchPAT · Xeomin · Xhance
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $317 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a otolaryngology in Amarillo?
Compare otolaryngologys in the Amarillo area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Otolaryngologys within 10 mi
9
Per 100K population
7.7
County median income
$50,448
Nearest hospital
QUAIL CREEK SURGICAL 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. Fichandler is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and low-engagement industry engagement, with 17 years of practice experience.

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. Fichandler experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Fichandler performed 182 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. Fichandler receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Fichandler received a total of $2,829 from 25 companies across 107 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. Fichandler's costs compare to other otolaryngologys in Amarillo?
Dr. Fichandler's average Medicare payment per service is $59. 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. Fichandler) 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 →