Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Thomas Merriman, MD
Pain Medicine · Amarillo, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Merriman 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. Merriman
Dr. Thomas Merriman is a pain medicine specialist in Amarillo, TX, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Merriman performed 6,511 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Merriman received a total of $7,364 from 29 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 333 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Merriman 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 of NPI registration
▲ Top 18% volume in TX
$7,364 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗6,511
Medicare services
Top 18% in TX for pain medicine
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$109
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug screening test A laboratory test that uses a chemistry analyzer to detect the presence of drugs in a sample. |
1,923 | $60 | $600 |
| Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS. |
1,441 | $193 | $600 |
| 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. |
883 | $89 | $380 |
| Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS. |
437 | $234 | $750 |
| Assessment of emotional or behavioral problems An evaluation to identify and understand emotional or behavioral issues. This process involves reviewing symptoms and behaviors to determine the nature of the concerns. |
433 | $3 | $17 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
195 | $99 | $735 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
142 | $114 | $490 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
110 | $93 | $526 |
| Additional sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into an additional sacral spine nerve root level, guided by imaging. |
108 | $40 | $330 |
| 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. |
99 | $65 | $267 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
93 | $56 | $270 |
| Spinal neurostimulator electrode insertion A procedure to place an electrode array into the spine through the skin. The electrode is used to deliver electrical stimulation to the nervous system. |
91 | $241 | $6,649 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
86 | $58 | $517 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals. |
69 | $209 | $1,245 |
| 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. |
54 | $76 | $328 |
| Spinal injection with imaging guidance A procedure where medication is injected into the middle or upper part of the spinal canal. Imaging technology is used to guide the needle to the correct location. |
48 | $77 | $798 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
37 | $114 | $573 |
| Compounded drug, not otherwise classified A medication prepared specifically for an individual patient by a pharmacist or physician, tailored to meet unique needs that cannot be fulfilled by commercially available products. |
37 | $69 | $88 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement. |
31 | $65 | $289 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
31 | $41 | $164 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional upper or middle spinal facet joint. |
30 | $66 | $567 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
28 | $68 | $787 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy the nerves supplying a single upper or middle spinal facet joint. It is performed to interrupt pain signals from that specific joint. |
26 | $193 | $1,257 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
23 | $20 | $342 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
22 | $66 | $489 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
21 | $41 | $187 |
| Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS. |
13 | $153 | $475 |
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$7,364
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,052/year across 7 years
Top 28% in TX for pain medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
29
Companies
333
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,148
2023
$1,322
2022
$1,769
2021
$416
2020
$369
2019
$1,161
2018
$1,179
Payments by company (2024)
Abbott Laboratories
$1,003
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$63
ABBVIE INC.
$50
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$33
Top 3 companies account for 97.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Abbott Laboratories
$3,329
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,090
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$960
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$352
PFIZER INC.
$247
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$167
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$140
Epimed International, Inc
$135
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc.
$124
Amgen Inc.
$116
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$87
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$80
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$72
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$63
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$61
ABBVIE INC.
$50
Nevro Corp.
$37
BIODELIVERY SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
$32
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$31
Purdue Pharma L.P.
$28
AbbVie Inc.
$24
Bioventus LLC
$23
SI-BONE, Inc.
$19
Assertio Therapeutics, Inc.
$19
Ironshore Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18
Upsher-Smith Laboratories LLC
$16
BAUDAX BIO INC.
$16
Zyla Life Sciences
$13
Vertiflex, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 73.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIMOVIG · AJOVY · AMPERE · ANJESO · Aimovig · Amitiza · BELBUCA · BUNAVAIL 2.1 mg 30-count box · Belbuca · Catheters and Needles · Durolane · ETERNA · Epidural needles and catheters · Gralise · INTELLIS · IONICRF · JORNAY PM · LAMITRODE TRIPOLE · LYRICA · MULTI-LEAD TRIALING CABLE · Morphabond ER · OCTRODE · OXTELLAR XR · PENTA · PROCLAIM · PRODIGY · Penta SCS Leads · Proclaim IPG · QUDEXY XR Topiramate Extended Release Capsules · QULIPTA · RESTORE · S-Series SCS Leads · SPRINT PNS System · SPRIX · SYMPROIC · SYNCHROMED · SYNCHROMEDII · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · Superion ISS · TROKENDI XR · Trintellix · UBRELVY · VANTA ADAPTIVESTIM · XTAMPZA · Xtampza ER · ZTLido · Zilretta · iFuse Implant
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Geographic Context
Pain medicines in nearby ZIP areas
1
County median income
$50,448
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
NORTHWEST TEXAS HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | NPPES snapshot; verify current record |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | PECOS snapshot |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not included | 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. Merriman is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% in TX), 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. Merriman experienced with drug screening test?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Merriman performed 1,923 drug screening test services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Merriman receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Merriman received a total of $7,364 from 29 companies across 333 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. Merriman's costs compare to other pain medicines in Amarillo?
Dr. Merriman's average Medicare payment per service is $109. 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. Merriman) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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.
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