Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Esteban Cortez, PA

Surgical Physician Assistant · Edinburg, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
5540 RAPHAEL DR, Edinburg, TX 78539
9563626683
In practice since 2009 (16 years)
NPI: 1497081756 verify on NPPES ↗
High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 3 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. Cortez 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. Cortez

Dr. Esteban Cortez is a surgical physician assistant in Edinburg, TX, with 16 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cortez performed 189 Medicare services across 118 unique beneficiaries.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Cortez is 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 48% volume in TX

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
189
Medicare services
Top 48% in TX for surgical physician assistant
118
Unique beneficiaries
$40
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~12 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
Joint injection, major joint111$34$184
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)58$41$146
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)20$64$253
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.
Looking for a surgical physician assistant in Edinburg?
Compare surgical physician assistants in the Edinburg area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Surgical Physician Assistants within 10 mi
10
Per 100K population
1.1
County median income
$52,281
Nearest hospital
SOUTH TEXAS HEALTH SYSTEM
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments— No paymentsN/A
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/A

This provider has data in 3 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of High. This measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Cortez is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, 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. Cortez experienced with joint injection, major joint?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cortez performed 111 joint injection, major joint 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.
How do Dr. Cortez's costs compare to other surgical physician assistants in Edinburg?
Dr. Cortez's average Medicare payment per service is $40. 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 High for Dr. Cortez) 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 ↗, 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 →