Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Stephen Schwartz, M.D.

Dermatology · Harlingen, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
1919 N ED CAREY DR, Harlingen, TX 78550
9564232913
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1457342412 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. Schwartz 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. Schwartz? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Schwartz

Dr. Stephen Schwartz is a dermatology in Harlingen, TX, with 20 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Schwartz performed 2,687 Medicare services across 1,338 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Schwartz received a total of $1,245 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 55 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in dermatology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Schwartz 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 44% volume in TX$ $1,245 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
2,687
Medicare services
Top 44% in TX for dermatology
1,338
Unique beneficiaries
$34
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~134 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
Destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-141,295$5$7
Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1374$38$51
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)308$42$57
Destruction of skin growths (warts/lesions), 1-14164$79$109
New patient office or other outpatient visit, 15-29 minutes129$51$75
Skin biopsy, tangential84$65$94
Destruction of cancer skin growth of trunk, arms, or legs, 0.6-1.0 cm55$85$114
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)42$64$90
Destruction of cancer skin growth of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth, 0.6-1.0 cm38$132$178
Destruction of precancer skin growth, 15 or more growths36$127$164
Destruction of cancer skin growth of trunk, arms, or legs, 1.1-2.0 cm34$126$169
Destruction of cancer skin growth of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth, 1.1-2.0 cm28$149$204
Removal of skin tag, 1-15 skin tags27$58$75
Destruction of cancer skin growth of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth, 0.5 cm or less25$86$115
Destruction of cancer skin growth of scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitals, 0.6-1.0 cm20$117$150
Simple or single drainage of skin abscess16$91$126
Biopsy of related skin growth, each additional growth12$38$55
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 ↗
$1,245
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $178/year across 7 years
Bottom 30% in TX for dermatology
15
Companies
55
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$648 (52.0%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$597 (48.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$178
2023
$241
2022
$167
2021
$104
2020
$313
2019
$205
2018
$38

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$618
GENZYME CORPORATION
$152
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$106
AbbVie Inc.
$66
PFIZER INC.
$64
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$39
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$33
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$32
LEO Pharma Inc.
$30
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$21
Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
Amgen Inc.
$19
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$18
ABBVIE INC.
$15
Celgene Corporation
$13
Top 3 companies account for 70.3% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
COSENTYX · Clindamycin Phosphate and Benzoyl Peroxide · DUPIXENT · EPIDUO FORTE · EUCRISA · Enbrel · ILUMYA · Ilumya · Otezla · REMICADE · SKYRIZI · Sotyktu · TREMFYA · Tremfya
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 →

The majority of payments (52%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in dermatology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Equivalent to $46 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a dermatology in Harlingen?
Compare dermatologys in the Harlingen area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse dermatologys nearby

Geographic Context

Dermatologys within 10 mi
4
Per 100K population
0.9
County median income
$51,334
Nearest hospital
VHS HARLINGEN HOSPITAL COMPANY LLC
0.0 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. Schwartz is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and speaking/promotional industry engagement, 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. Schwartz experienced with destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Schwartz performed 1,295 destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14 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. Schwartz receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Schwartz received a total of $1,245 from 15 companies across 55 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. Schwartz's costs compare to other dermatologys in Harlingen?
Dr. Schwartz's average Medicare payment per service is $34. 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. Schwartz) 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 →