Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Wayne Paullus, MD

Neurological Surgery · Amarillo, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
705 QUAIL CREEK DR, Amarillo, TX 79106
8063536400
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1386745321 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. Paullus 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. Paullus

Dr. Wayne Paullus is a neurological surgery in Amarillo, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Paullus performed 711 Medicare services across 625 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Paullus received a total of $10,299 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 203 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological 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. Paullus 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 18% volume in TX$ $10,299 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
711
Medicare services
Top 18% in TX for neurological surgery
625
Unique beneficiaries
$164
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~37 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)232$62$90
X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views85$33$58
X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views56$33$57
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity48$59$77
Insertion of cage or mesh device to spine bone and disc space during spine fusion40$178$377
New patient office visit (30-44 min)39$71$121
Fusion of additional segment of spine21$290$371
Fusion of spine in lower back with partial removal of spine bone and disc19$1,312$2,291
Partial removal of bone of single segment of spine in lower back with release of spinal cord and/or nerves during fusion of spine in lower back19$172$294
Placement of stabilizing device to back, 3-6 spine bone segments17$534$929
Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with electrocardiogram (ecg) with review by physician15$10$13
Test to measure rate of airflow15$28$36
Test for exercise-induced heart and lung stress15$112$145
Test to determine lung volumes using gas dilution or washout15$32$41
Test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases15$42$53
Placement of stabilizing device to back of 1 spine bone in neck14$526$885
Placement of stabilizing device to front, 2-3 spine bone segments13$543$692
Fusion of upper spine bone with removal of disc and release of spinal cord or nerve, 1 disc11$1,166$1,632
Partial removal of spine bone with exploration and/or release of lower spinal cord or nerves, 1-2 segments11$864$1,155
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)11$92$139
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.
15.5% high complexity
2.1% medium
82.4% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$10,299
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,471/year across 7 years
Top 29% in TX for neurological surgery
14
Companies
203
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
$10,140 (98.5%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$159 (1.5%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$164
2023
$1,176
2022
$1,487
2021
$1,390
2020
$656
2019
$2,088
2018
$3,339

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Globus Medical, Inc.
$4,981
Abbott Laboratories
$3,286
Brainlab, Inc.
$786
Curiteva, Inc.
$558
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$241
Medtronic, Inc.
$147
Stryker Corporation
$96
MML US, Inc.
$72
Aesculap, Inc.
$38
IRRAS USA, Inc.
$26
Ceribell, Inc.
$19
LeMaitre Vascular, Inc.
$17
Argentum Medical
$16
Monteris Medical Corporation
$15
Top 3 companies account for 87.9% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADAPTIVESTIM · AESCULAP · ANASTOCLIP · AQUAMANTYS(TM) · Airo · Buzz · CITADEL · CREO Cortical · Ceribell Rapid Response EEG · Curve · ELSA · ETERNA · EVEREST · Elements · Exact Trac · Excelsius - GPS · INDEPENDENCE · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · IRRAFLOW · Kick · L5-S1 · MAGNIFY · MONUMENT · MULTIGEN 2 · MazorX - Renaissance · Neuroblate · Node · Novalis · OCTRODE · PENTA · PROCLAIM · Penta SCS Leads · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · RESTORE · RISE-L · ReActiv8 · Spine · TramaCad · VANTA ADAPTIVESTIM · Vanta
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 (98%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $1,449 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a neurological surgery in Amarillo?
Compare neurological surgerys in the Amarillo area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse neurological surgerys nearby

Geographic Context

Neurological Surgerys within 10 mi
8
Per 100K population
6.9
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. Paullus is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% in TX), 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. Paullus experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Paullus performed 232 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. Paullus receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Paullus received a total of $10,299 from 14 companies across 203 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. Paullus's costs compare to other neurological surgerys in Amarillo?
Dr. Paullus's average Medicare payment per service is $164. 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. Paullus) 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 →