Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Efrain Soto, MD

Family Medicine · Friendswood, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1305 W PARKWOOD AVE, Friendswood, TX 77546
2819960068
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1124229695 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. Soto 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. Soto? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Soto

Dr. Efrain Soto is a family medicine in Friendswood, TX, with 18 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Soto performed 1,561 Medicare services across 501 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Soto received a total of $12,738 from 52 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 689 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. 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. Soto 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.

✓ 18 years in practice▲ Top 18% volume in TX$ $12,738 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,561
Medicare services
Top 18% in TX for family medicine
501
Unique beneficiaries
$24
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~87 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
Dexamethasone injection (steroid)590$0$0
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)283$80$165
Blood draw (venipuncture)222$8$10
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle105$9$30
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)71$58$145
Ceftriaxone antibiotic injection68$0$3
Injection, ketorolac tromethamine, per 15 mg53$0$2
Assessment of emotional or behavioral problems39$3$15
Annual wellness visit, follow-up36$129$246
Annual depression screening29$18$30
Blood glucose (sugar) test performed by hand-held instrument21$3$5
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)18$122$220
Urinalysis, manual15$3$5
Prostate cancer screening; digital rectal examination11$19$37
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.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$12,738
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,820/year across 7 years
Top 3% in TX for family medicine
52
Companies
689
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
$12,627 (99.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$111 (0.9%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$2,536
2023
$1,487
2022
$2,211
2021
$2,083
2020
$2,012
2019
$996
2018
$1,412

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$1,782
ModernaTX, Inc.
$1,420
Novo Nordisk Inc
$1,415
Lilly USA, LLC
$1,201
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$868
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$806
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$510
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$364
Amgen Inc.
$357
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$340
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$326
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$296
AbbVie Inc.
$267
Medicure Pharma Inc.
$249
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$218
Eisai Inc.
$205
Allergan, Inc.
$199
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$193
ABBVIE INC.
$186
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$151
MILLICENT US INC
$142
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$108
Allergan Inc.
$102
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$101
Radius Health, Inc.
$77
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$77
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$67
PFIZER INC.
$63
Exact Sciences Corporation
$62
Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$60
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$54
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$47
EISAI INC.
$34
Nalpropion Pharmaceuticals LLC
$33
Tolmar, Inc.
$33
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$27
Exeltis, USA Inc.
$25
Phadia US Inc.
$24
Nevro Corp.
$24
Glenmark Therapeutics Inc.
$23
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$22
Zyla Life Sciences
$21
Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc.
$20
Optinose US, Inc.
$19
DEXCOM, INC.
$18
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$17
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$17
Upsher-Smith Laboratories LLC
$16
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$15
Aytu BioScience, Inc
$12
Nalpropion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$12
Mission Pharmacal Company
$12
Top 3 companies account for 36.2% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIRSUPRA · AJOVY · ANDEXXA · AUSTEDO · Aimovig · Austedo XR · BASAGLAR · BELSOMRA · BOTOX COSMETIC · BREZTRI · BYDUREON · BYSTOLIC · Belviq · CONTRAVE · Cologuard Collection Kit · DEXCOM G6 TRANSMITTER · DUEXIS · Dayvigo · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · EVENITY · Edarbi · FARXIGA · FEMRING · Femring · Flexitouch Plus · HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. · Horizant · ImmunoCAP · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · JATENZO · Kerendia · LEQVIO · LINZESS · LIVALO · Livalo · MOUNJARO · Mupirocin Cream · NEXLETOL · NOCDURNA · Natesto · OTREXUP · Otezla · Ozempic · PREMARIN · Perforomist · Prolia · QUDEXY XR Topiramate Extended Release Capsules · QULIPTA · REYVOW · RYBELSUS · Recedo · Repatha · Rybelsus · SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA · SEGLENTIS · SIVEXTRO · STEGLUJAN · Saxenda · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · TRADJENTA · TRINTELLIX · TROKENDI XR · TRULICITY · Tirosint · Trintellix · Tuzistra XR · Tymlos · UBRELVY · Uloric · Uribel · VIIBRYD · VRAYLAR · VYVANSE · Vascepa · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · XIGDUO · XYOSTED · Xhance · ZEPBOUND · ZORVOLEX · ZORYVE
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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for family medicine in TX.

Equivalent to $816 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a family medicine in Friendswood?
Compare family medicines in the Friendswood area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Family Medicines within 10 mi
1,095
Per 100K population
308.7
County median income
$85,348
Nearest hospital
HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE CLEAR LAKE
4.0 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. Soto is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% in TX), and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 3%), with 18 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. Soto experienced with dexamethasone injection (steroid)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Soto performed 590 dexamethasone injection (steroid) 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. Soto receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Soto received a total of $12,738 from 52 companies across 689 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. Soto's costs compare to other family medicines in Friendswood?
Dr. Soto's average Medicare payment per service is $24. 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. Soto) 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 →