Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Russell Briggs, M.D.

Otolaryngology/Facial Plastic Surgery Physician · Austin, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
2765 BEE CAVE RD, Austin, TX 78746
5123287722
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1942245196 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. Briggs 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. Briggs? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Briggs

Dr. Russell Briggs is an otolaryngology/facial plastic surgery physician in Austin, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Briggs performed 3,659 Medicare services across 1,495 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Briggs received a total of $7,346 from 31 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 309 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in otolaryngology/facial plastic surgery physician. 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. Briggs 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 12% volume in TX$ $7,346 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
3,659
Medicare services
Top 12% in TX for otolaryngology/facial plastic surgery physician
1,495
Unique beneficiaries
$36
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~193 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
Allergy immunotherapy preparation852$11$27
Allergy skin test470$3$14
Test for allergy using allergenic extract injected into skin468$6$19
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)404$64$161
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)291$97$217
Removal of impacted ear wax195$34$143
Test to assess middle ear function150$11$52
Comprehensive hearing and speech recognition test130$25$126
New patient office visit (30-44 min)130$75$274
New patient office visit (45-59 min)127$122$348
Allergy injection therapy, multiple injections117$8$32
Diagnostic exam of nasal passages using an endoscope72$141$538
Diagnostic exam of voice box using a flexible endoscope70$99$389
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)69$43$61
Exam of ear using a microscope35$22$84
Test for hearing various pitches using earphone24$23$88
Biopsy or removal of nasal polyp or tissue using an endoscope19$295$1,097
Removal of impacted cerumen (one or both ears) by physician on same date of service as audiologic function testing19$41$231
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle17$8$48
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 ↗
$7,346
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,049/year across 7 years
Top 12% in TX for otolaryngology/facial plastic surgery physician
31
Companies
309
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
$7,111 (96.8%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$235 (3.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,194
2023
$1,613
2022
$1,397
2021
$965
2020
$315
2019
$687
2018
$1,175

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$1,052
GENZYME CORPORATION
$904
Acclarent, Inc
$901
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$731
Stryker Corporation
$608
OptiNose US, Inc.
$410
Medtronic, Inc.
$401
Carestream Dental, LLC
$373
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$336
Optinose US, Inc.
$242
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$237
AERIN MEDICAL INC.
$221
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$161
Phadia US Inc.
$139
AbbVie Inc.
$90
Arrinex, Inc.
$75
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$74
Itamar Medical Inc
$61
ABBVIE INC.
$54
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$48
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$37
Intersect ENT, Inc.
$36
PFIZER INC.
$28
Aerin Medical Inc.
$19
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$19
Greer Laboratories, Inc.
$17
Olympus America Inc.
$17
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$16
Entellus Medical, Inc.
$15
Xoran Technologies
$12
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 38.9% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCLARENT AERA · ACCLARENT AERA EUSTACHIAN TUBE BALLOON DILATION SYSTEM · ACCLARENT NAVWIRE SINUS NAVIGATION GUIDEWIRE · ACCLARENT NAVWIRE Sinus Navigation Guidewire · AUDION ET DILATION SYSTEM · Acclarent Aera · CIPRODEX · CLARIFIX CRYOTHERAPY DEVICE · Clarifix · DUPIXENT · ENTELLUS - ENTELLUS MEDICAL SHAVER SYSTEM · ENTELLUS - FIAGON SINUS NAVIGATION SYSTEM · ENTELLUS - XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM · FARXIGA · INSPIRA AIR Balloon Dilation System · INSPIRE · ImmunoCAP · Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation System · MEROCEL · MiniCAT · NIM · NUCALA · NURTEC ODT · NUVENT · ORALAIR · Otovel · PROPEL · QULIPTA · RELIEVA CIRCA Ethmoid Punch · RELIEVA SCOUT Multi-Sinus Dilation System · RELIEVA SPINPLUS Balloon Sinuplasty System · RELIEVA Spin Balloon Sinuplasty System · RELIEVA SpinPlus NAV Balloon Sinusplasty System · RELIEVA ULTIRRA Sinus Balloon Catheter · Relieva Spinplus · Ryaltris · SCOPIS ENT · STRAIGHTSHOT · StealthStation · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TruDi NAV Cable · UBRELVY · VIVAER STYLUS · VRAYLAR · VivAer · WatchPAT · WatchPATONE · XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM · 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 (97%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $201 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a otolaryngology/facial plastic surgery physician in Austin?
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Geographic Context

Otolaryngology/Facial Plastic Surgery Physicians within 10 mi
4
Per 100K population
0.3
County median income
$97,169
Nearest hospital
THE HOSPITAL AT WESTLAKE MEDICAL CENTER
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. Briggs is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in TX), and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 12%), 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. Briggs experienced with allergy immunotherapy preparation?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Briggs performed 852 allergy immunotherapy preparation 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. Briggs receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Briggs received a total of $7,346 from 31 companies across 309 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. Briggs's costs compare to other otolaryngology/facial plastic surgery physicians in Austin?
Dr. Briggs's average Medicare payment per service is $36. 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. Briggs) 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 →