Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Deborah McCollum, M.D.

Thoracic Surgery · Amarillo, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
6611 W AMARILLO BLVD, Amarillo, TX 79106
8062124535
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1144260837 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. McCollum 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. McCollum

Dr. Deborah McCollum is a thoracic surgery in Amarillo, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. McCollum performed 97 Medicare services across 97 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. McCollum received a total of $1,190 from 8 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 29 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in thoracic 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. McCollum 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▲ 97 Medicare services$ $1,190 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
97
Medicare services
Bottom 39% in TX for thoracic surgery
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
97
Unique beneficiaries
$287
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~5 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
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min)52$161$403
Replacement of aortic valve through the skin and femoral artery31$590$5,060
New patient office visit (30-44 min)14$85$205
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.
32.0% high complexity
0.0% medium
68.0% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2023 ↗
$1,190
Total received (2018-2023)
Avg $198/year across 6 years
Bottom 25% in TX for thoracic surgery
8
Companies
29
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
$1,190 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2023
$44
2022
$42
2021
$194
2020
$161
2019
$341
2018
$406

Payments by company (2023)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$641
Medtronic, Inc.
$226
Abbott Laboratories
$132
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$100
AtriCure, Inc.
$42
ATRICURE, INC.
$22
ABIOMED
$15
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$12
Top 3 companies account for 83.9% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION · Absolute Pro vascular stent system · Avalus · BRIDION · COREVALVE EVOLUT R · Cardioblate · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve · Impella · Merlin Connectivity and Remote · Mosaic · Quadra Assura CRT Defibrillator · SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM · Signia
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 $1,226 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a thoracic surgery in Amarillo?
Compare thoracic surgerys in the Amarillo area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Thoracic Surgerys within 10 mi
3
Per 100K population
2.6
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 2023
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. McCollum is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 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. McCollum experienced with new patient office visit, complex (60-74 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. McCollum performed 52 new patient office visit, complex (60-74 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. McCollum receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. McCollum received a total of $1,190 from 8 companies across 29 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. McCollum's costs compare to other thoracic surgerys in Amarillo?
Dr. McCollum's average Medicare payment per service is $287. 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. McCollum) 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 →