Dr. J Morales, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Morales
Dr. J Morales is a thoracic surgery specialist in Corpus Christi, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Morales performed 408 Medicare services across 297 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Morales received a total of $87,183 from 24 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 170 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in thoracic surgery. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Morales 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
215 | $58 | $124 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft, 1 artery Surgical procedure to bypass a blocked coronary artery using a graft from another artery. This restores blood flow to the heart muscle. |
52 | $1,297 | $3,257 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft, 2 grafts A surgical procedure to restore blood flow to the heart by creating bypasses using two vein or artery grafts. |
25 | $304 | $721 |
| Initial hospital admission, low complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving straightforward or low-level medical decision making, with at least 40 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
25 | $63 | $165 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
23 | $86 | $235 |
| 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. |
20 | $77 | $182 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft, 1 graft Surgery to create a new route for blood to flow around a blocked coronary artery using a vein or artery graft. |
19 | $138 | $328 |
| Critical care, first 30-74 min Emergency medical care for a critically ill or injured patient lasting between 30 and 74 minutes. This service involves direct patient care and medical decision making to stabilize the patient. |
18 | $159 | $467 |
| Aortic valve replacement with tissue valve Surgical replacement of the aortic valve with a biological tissue valve while the patient is on a heart-lung machine. |
11 | $1,886 | $4,422 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (48%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 8% for thoracic surgery in TX.
Geographic Context
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/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. Morales is a cardiac surgery specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% in TX), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 8% of TX peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.
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. Morales experienced with hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity?
Does Dr. Morales receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Morales's costs compare to other thoracic surgerists in Corpus Christi?
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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.
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