Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Heather Vasser, M.D.

Surgery · Columbus, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1860 HIGHWAY 71 S, Columbus, TX 78934
9797326552
In practice since 2010 (16 years)
NPI: 1528398609 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. Vasser 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. Vasser? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Vasser

Dr. Heather Vasser is a surgery in Columbus, TX, with 16 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Vasser performed 1,600 Medicare services across 1,509 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Vasser received a total of $902 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 46 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in 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. Vasser 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.

✓ 16 years in practice▲ Top 5% volume in TX$ $902 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,600
Medicare services
Top 5% in TX for surgery
1,509
Unique beneficiaries
$105
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~100 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)235$64$152
Removal of polyps or growths of large bowel using a flexible endoscope with electrical cautery214$108$977
Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy199$77$767
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)199$41$92
Removal of polyps or growths of large bowel using an endoscope with mechanical snare171$198$915
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)139$95$221
New patient office visit (30-44 min)130$79$219
Telephone medical discussion with physician, 11-20 minutes114$64$153
New patient office visit (45-59 min)68$124$334
Colorectal cancer screening; colonoscopy on individual at high risk21$161$374
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)19$137$297
Imaging of digestive tract done from the inside of the digestive tract16$564$1,603
Repair of groin hernia (5 years or older)15$396$1,095
Laparoscopic gallbladder removal13$500$1,385
Colonoscopy with biopsy12$119$876
Removal of external hemorrhoids by rubber banding12$90$566
Colorectal cancer screening; colonoscopy on individual not meeting criteria for high risk12$174$375
Diagnostic exam of large bowel using a flexible endoscope11$131$375
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 ↗
$902
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $129/year across 7 years
Bottom 33% in TX for surgery
20
Companies
46
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
$886 (98.2%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$16 (1.8%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$239
2023
$122
2022
$156
2021
$162
2020
$59
2019
$151
2018
$13

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AbbVie Inc.
$155
Endogastric Solutions, Inc
$125
ABBVIE INC.
$113
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$74
Microline Surgical Inc
$56
Braintree Laboratories, Inc.
$56
Medtronic, Inc.
$38
Allergan, Inc.
$30
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$29
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$29
Olympus America Inc.
$28
Ethicon US, LLC
$25
MIMEDX Group, Inc.
$22
Boston Scientific Corporation
$21
Stryker Corporation
$19
THD America, Inc.
$19
Becton, Dickinson and Company
$17
LEICA MICROSYSTEMS INC.
$16
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$14
Maquet Cardiovascular U.S. Sales, L.L.C.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 43.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
1688 HD 3 CHIP CAMERA · AQUAMANTYS(TM) · C-QUR FX · DALVANCE · ESOPHYX · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · Harmonic · MYRISK · N/A · Phasix Mesh · RENASYS GO v2 HOME · SEGLENTIS · SUFLAVE · SUPREP BOWEL PREP · SUTAB · TEFLARO · VOQUEZNA · myRisk
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 $56 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a surgery in Columbus?
Compare surgerys in the Columbus area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Surgerys within 10 mi
7
Per 100K population
33.8
County median income
$68,554
Nearest hospital
COLUMBUS COMMUNITY 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. Vasser is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in TX), and low-engagement industry engagement, with 16 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. Vasser experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Vasser performed 235 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. Vasser receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Vasser received a total of $902 from 20 companies across 46 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. Vasser's costs compare to other surgerys in Columbus?
Dr. Vasser's average Medicare payment per service is $105. 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. Vasser) 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 →