Medicare Enrolled

Dr. John Sparks, M.D.

Orthopedic Surgery · Conroe, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
1020 RIVERWOOD CT., Conroe, TX 77304
9365392663
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1558353177 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. Sparks 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. Sparks? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Sparks

Dr. John Sparks is an orthopedic surgery in Conroe, TX, with 20 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sparks performed 4,063 Medicare services across 1,707 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sparks received a total of $52,767 from 11 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 38 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Sparks 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.

✓ 20 years in practice▲ Top 12% volume in TX$ $52,767 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
4,063
Medicare services
Top 12% in TX for orthopedic surgery
1,707
Unique beneficiaries
$54
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~203 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
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)1,702$1$5
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)373$62$113
Joint injection, major joint328$52$154
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)292$89$164
X-ray of knee, 1-2 views290$24$53
X-ray of lower leg, 2 views245$23$52
Hyaluronan or derivative, hyalgan, supartz or visco-3, for intra-articular injection, per dose182$58$175
New patient office visit (45-59 min)156$109$264
Hip X-ray, 2-3 views137$34$78
X-ray of thigh bone, minimum 2 views133$26$61
Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views64$25$57
Total knee replacement58$941$2,680
Hyaluronan or derivative, monovisc, for intra-articular injection, per dose29$549$900
Total hip replacement20$966$2,681
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min)15$102$380
X-ray of joints, multiple14$36$90
New patient office visit (30-44 min)13$76$172
Repair of shoulder rotator cuff using an endoscope12$791$2,077
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.
1.9% high complexity
55.2% medium
42.9% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2023 ↗
$52,767
Total received (2018-2023)
Avg $8,794/year across 6 years
Top 11% in TX for orthopedic surgery
11
Companies
38
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$52,200 (98.9%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$567 (1.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2023
$33
2022
$118
2021
$100
2020
$110
2019
$79
2018
$52,326

Payments by company (2023)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Skye Orthobiologics LLC
$52,200
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$295
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$64
Horizon Pharma plc
$59
FIDIA PHARMA USA INC.
$37
Zyla Life Sciences
$35
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$17
Iroko Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$17
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$16
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$15
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$11
Top 3 companies account for 99.6% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
CORI · DUEXIS · HYALGAN · Hymovis · Livalo · MOVANTIK · Meniscal Root Repair System · ORTHOVISC · PENNSAID · RAYOS · SEGLENTIS · SPRIX · Seglentis · VIVLODEX
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 →

The majority of payments (99%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in orthopedic surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Equivalent to $1,299 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a orthopedic surgery in Conroe?
Compare orthopedic surgerys in the Conroe area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Orthopedic Surgerys within 10 mi
62
Per 100K population
9.5
County median income
$97,266
Nearest hospital
HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE CONROE
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. Sparks is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in TX), and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 11%), with 20 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. Sparks experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Sparks performed 1,702 steroid injection (triamcinolone) 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. Sparks receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Sparks received a total of $52,767 from 11 companies across 38 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. Sparks's costs compare to other orthopedic surgerys in Conroe?
Dr. Sparks's average Medicare payment per service is $54. 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. Sparks) 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 →