Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Brent Alford, M.D.
Neurological Surgery · Fort Worth, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Mixed engagement
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. Alford 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. Alford
Dr. Brent Alford is a neurological surgery specialist in Fort Worth, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Alford performed 1,336 Medicare services across 961 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Alford received a total of $221,085 from 53 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 163 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological surgery. The majority of payments are classified as financial or ownership interests (royalties, licensing fees, or investment interests). Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Alford 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 5% volume in TX
$221,085 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,336
Medicare services
Top 5% in TX for neurological surgery
961
Unique beneficiaries
$131
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~70 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.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
413 | $67 | $225 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
151 | $117 | $494 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views An X-ray imaging test of the lower back and sacrum using at least four different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
108 | $38 | $146 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
108 | $92 | $327 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
83 | $42 | $136 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using 4 to 5 different views to visualize the bones and structures in that area. |
73 | $39 | $152 |
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
71 | $288 | $1,165 |
| 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. |
51 | $62 | $218 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
45 | $196 | $769 |
| Harvest of bone fragment for spine bone graft A surgical procedure to remove a piece of bone from the patient's body to be used as a graft during spine surgery. |
42 | $124 | $500 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
39 | $155 | $628 |
| 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. |
25 | $84 | $323 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
23 | $135 | $610 |
| Fusion of upper spine bone with removal of disc and release of spinal cord or nerve, each additional disc | 20 | $300 | $1,179 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 17 | $994 | $4,750 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints. |
16 | $23 | $95 |
| Spinal fusion with disc removal and nerve release, 1 disc This surgery connects two or more vertebrae in the upper spine to stabilize the area. It involves removing a damaged disc and relieving pressure on the spinal cord or nerve. |
14 | $1,289 | $5,064 |
| Spinal cord graft placement A surgical procedure to place a graft onto the spinal cord. This involves transplanting tissue to the spinal cord area. |
14 | $493 | $3,239 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
12 | $530 | $2,271 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
11 | $543 | $3,286 |
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.
12.5% high complexity
0.0% medium
87.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$221,085
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $31,584/year across 7 years
Top 5% in TX for neurological surgery
53
Companies
163
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.
Financial / Ownership
Ownership or investment interests, royalties, and licensing fees
$193,000 (87.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$15,322 (6.9%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$12,763 (5.8%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$10,873
2023
$8,475
2022
$5,974
2021
$113
2020
$48
2019
$116,371
2018
$79,231
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Fort Worth Surgical Supply, LLC
$193,000
XTANT MEDICAL INC
$10,263
IMPLANET America, Inc.
$8,018
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$2,500
Surgalign Spine Technologies, Inc.
$2,493
Providence Medical Technology, Inc.
$522
Cerapedics, Inc.
$424
Boston Scientific Corporation
$406
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$348
Abbott Laboratories
$316
Terumo BCT, Inc.
$274
Intrinsic Therapeutics
$193
Ethicon US, LLC
$165
Xtant Medical Inc
$146
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$144
Organogenesis Inc.
$143
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$139
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$129
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$127
Arteriocyte Medical Systems, Inc.
$123
Nevro Corp.
$109
Stryker Corporation
$95
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$77
Centinel Spine, LLC
$76
Avanos Medical
$66
Vertiflex, Inc.
$57
Highridge Medical LLC
$57
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$52
PFIZER INC.
$51
Nuvectra Corporation
$45
NuVasive, Inc.
$44
HydroCision, Inc.
$40
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$40
Aesculap, Inc.
$39
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$38
SPINAL ELEMENTS, INC.
$33
Omniscient Neurotechnology America Ltd
$31
Innovation Technologies Inc
$25
Baxter Healthcare
$22
Medacta USA, Inc.
$21
Medexus Pharma, Inc.
$19
PAINTEQ LLC
$19
Nexxt Spine LLC
$18
Bioventus LLC
$17
Mallinckrodt LLC
$16
KLS-Martin L.P.
$16
Spineology Inc.
$16
Sanara MedTech Inc.
$14
Olympus America Inc.
$14
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$12
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$12
Misonix Inc
$12
DJO, LLC
$11
Top 3 companies account for 95.6% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
12.5MM X 50MM · ADAPTIVESTIM · ANDEXXA · ARAI SURGICAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM · Algovita · BARRICAID ACD (ANNULAR CLOSURE DEVICE) · Biomet SpinalPak Non-invasive Spine Fusion Stimulator System · Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate System · BoneScalpel · CAVUX Cervical Cage · CD HORIZON · CMF SPINALOGIC · CODMAN CERTAS · COHERE · COOLIEF* COOLED RADIOFREQUENCY · CORTERA · CellerateRx · Cervical-Stim · Cervical-Stim Osteogenesis Stimulator · DRG IPGs · ELAN 4 · EMBLEM · ETERNA · EVEREST SPINAL SYSTEM · FLOSEAL · FORTILINK CAGES WITH TIPLUS TECHNOLOGY · FORTILINK-A IBF SYSTEM · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GRAFTON · General - Pain Management · Gleolan · INFINITY OCT System · IRRISEPT · IVS - CORTOSS · Integra · LYRICA · MOVANTIK · Magellan · MazorX - Renaissance · Medical Devices · Mega Power · MySpine · Nalu Neurostimulation System · Nexxt Matrixx Systems · NuCel · O-ARM-Spine · OFIRMEV · ON-Q* PUMP AND ACCESSORIES · OptiMesh Interbody Fusion System · Osteocel · PAINTEQ · PICO · PICO7 · PROCLAIM · PRODISC C VIVO · Penta SCS Leads · PlasmaBlade · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Quicktome · REYVOW · SCS IPGs · SIMMETRY IMPLANT · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · STRATAFIX · STREAMLINE TL SPINAL FIXATION SYSTEM · SURGIFLO Hemostatic Matrix · SURGIFLO Hemostatic Matrix Family of Products · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · Spinal-Stim · Superion ISS · TenJet · VERSAJET II · VNS THERAPY SENTIVA MODEL 1000 GENERATOR · VNS Therapy · VNS Therapy SenTiva Model 1000 Generator · ViviGen · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · i-FACTOR Putty
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 →
Payments are distributed across multiple categories with no single dominant type. Total industry engagement is in the top 5% for neurological surgery in TX.
Equivalent to $16,548 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Neurological surgerists within 10 mi
48
Per 100K population
2.2
County median income
$81,905
Nearest hospital
JPS HEALTH NETWORK
0.0 mi
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. Alford is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in TX), with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 5% 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. Alford experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Alford performed 413 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. Alford receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Alford received a total of $221,085 from 53 companies across 163 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. Alford's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in Fort Worth?
Dr. Alford's average Medicare payment per service is $131. 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. Alford) 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 →
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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.
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