Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Joseph Furlong, MD

Optician · El Paso, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
1111 HAWKINS BOULEVARD, El Paso, TX 79925
9157718346
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1801898622 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. Furlong 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. Furlong? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Furlong

Dr. Joseph Furlong is an optician in El Paso, TX, with 20 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Furlong performed 8,993 Medicare services across 5,313 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Furlong received a total of $8,689 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 315 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Furlong 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 7% volume in TX$ $8,689 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
8,993
Medicare services
Top 7% in TX for optician
5,313
Unique beneficiaries
$269
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~450 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
Ultrasound study of one arm or leg veins with compression and maneuvers2,059$84$450
Ultrasound evaluation of blood vessel with review by radiologist, each additional vessel970$129$500
Ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts818$72$170
Ultrasound of leg arteries or artery grafts461$176$830
Insertion of tube into vein, second order branch452$438$1,700
Ultrasound study of arm or leg veins with compression and maneuvers448$114$687
Limited ultrasound scan behind abdominal cavity373$45$300
Chemical destruction of first incompetent vein of arm or leg using imaging guidance357$1,338$3,500
Injection of chemical agent into single incompetent vein of leg using ultrasound guidance340$1,088$2,500
Complete ultrasound study of arm and leg arteries322$91$486
Ultrasonic guidance for blood vessel access303$30$50
Injection of chemical agent into multiple incompetent veins of leg289$183$481
Ultrasound evaluation of blood vessel with review by radiologist, initial vessel287$706$2,600
Review by radiologist of major lower body vein image274$80$400
Review by radiologist of both arms and legs veins of both arms or legs image190$99$275
Use of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by physician performing a procedure (5 years or older), initial 15 minutes189$37$100
Laser destruction of incompetent vein of arm or leg using imaging guidance125$797$3,800
Injection of chemical agent into single incompetent vein106$69$225
Use of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by physician performing a procedure, each additional 15 minutes99$8$25
Insertion of stent in vein with review by radiologist, initial vein97$2,574$8,000
Review by radiologist of 1 arm or leg vein of 1 arm or leg image85$83$225
Destruction of first incompetent vein of arm or leg using radiofrequency and imaging guidance71$880$4,500
Injection of chemical agent into multiple incompetent veins of same leg using ultrasound guidance70$1,054$2,600
Ultrasound study of arm and leg arteries47$56$126
Ultrasound of one leg arteries or artery grafts34$84$430
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)28$69$175
Review by radiologist of arm or leg artery image23$116$495
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)21$94$200
Other procedure on blood vessel15$113$1,145
New patient office visit (30-44 min)15$86$250
Laser destruction of incompetent veins of arm or leg using imaging guidance, subsequent13$238$1,100
Insertion of tube into abdominal, pelvic, or leg artery, each first order branch12$970$2,000
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.
10.2% high complexity
70.9% medium
19.0% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$8,689
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,241/year across 7 years
Top 19% in TX for optician
22
Companies
315
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
$8,689 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,987
2023
$2,214
2022
$1,060
2021
$1,062
2020
$717
2019
$945
2018
$704

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
$1,290
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,284
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$1,022
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$793
Boston Scientific Corporation
$598
Nevro Corp.
$550
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$535
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$483
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$430
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$380
Philips North America LLC
$236
BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
$204
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$188
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$153
PFIZER INC.
$127
CARDIVA MEDICAL, INC.
$115
Abbott Laboratories
$100
Biocompatibles, Inc.
$71
Ra Medical Systems, Inc.
$53
CORDIS US CORP.
$28
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$26
Terumo Medical Corporation
$22
Top 3 companies account for 41.4% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(4066) Tack Endo Sys ATK · (4067) Tack Endo Sys BTK · (4067) Tack Endovascular Systems BTK · (5027) Intact Vascular Und · (5139) IGT Fixed SV TnM · (6536) Phoenix · (6554) Periph Vasc Undiv · (6554) Peripheral Vascular Undivided · (6577) Visions 014 · (6582) Visions 035 · (888) PV 018 OTW · (9260) QC · (9281) Turbo Elite · (9282) Turbo Power · (9520) IGT Devices Und · (BR5) Peripheral IVUS · ABRE · AURYON LASER SYSTEM 100-120 VAC · Abre · CARDIVA VASCADE 6/7F VCS · CLOSUREFAST · CONCERTOTM · CROSSER · ClosureFast · DABRA · DIAMONDBACK PERIPHERAL · Diamondback Coronary · Diamondback Peripheral · ELIQUIS · ELUVIA · FLEXITOUCH · Flexitouch Plus · GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION · GENERAL ULTRASOUND · GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION · GENERAL - VASCULAR INTERVENTION · GENERAL ULTRASOUND · General - Ultrasound · General - Vascular Intervention · IGT D Peripheral · IMAGER II · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · LIFESTENT · LUMINEXX · LUTONIX · Mynx Venous VCD · NAVICROSS · Nalu Neurostimulation System · OptiCross 35 · Perclose ProGlide suture mediated closure system · Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy System · Senza · Stellarex · Ultraverse 014 · VARITHENA · VENASEAL · VENOVO · Varithena Administration Pack · VenaSeal · Venclose Maven Catheter · Venovo · XARELTO
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $97 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a optician in El Paso?
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Geographic Context

Opticians within 10 mi
66
Per 100K population
7.6
County median income
$58,859
Nearest hospital
UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER OF EL PASO
4.3 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. Furlong is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in TX), and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 19%), 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. Furlong experienced with ultrasound study of one arm or leg veins with compression and maneuvers?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Furlong performed 2,059 ultrasound study of one arm or leg veins with compression and maneuvers 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. Furlong receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Furlong received a total of $8,689 from 22 companies across 315 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. Furlong's costs compare to other opticians in El Paso?
Dr. Furlong's average Medicare payment per service is $269. 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. Furlong) 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 →