Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Alberto Lopez, M.D.
Cardiovascular Disease · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Cardiac & Remote
— Practice combining cardiac and remote services
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. Lopez 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. Lopez
Dr. Alberto Lopez is a cardiovascular disease specialist in Houston, TX, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lopez performed 5,262 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lopez received a total of $26,145 from 39 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 458 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Lopez is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 20 years of NPI registration
▲ Top 16% volume in TX
$26,145 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗5,262
Medicare services
Top 16% in TX for cardiovascular disease
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$247
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regadenoson injection (Lexiscan) for heart stress test An injection of regadenoson, a medication used to stress the heart during diagnostic testing. |
1,324 | $46 | $73 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram under physician supervision and review. |
526 | $53 | $143 |
| Rubidium rb-82, diagnostic, per study dose, up to 60 millicuries | 522 | $207 | $267 |
| Nuclear stress test with CT scan A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow in the heart muscle at rest and during stress, performed alongside a concurrent CT scan. |
479 | $1,929 | $2,998 |
| PET scan of heart muscle blood flow A nuclear medicine imaging test that uses positron emission tomography (PET) to evaluate blood flow within the heart muscle. |
478 | $145 | $226 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
358 | $11 | $33 |
| 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. |
271 | $94 | $168 |
| Remote cardiac rhythm monitor evaluation, up to 30 days Review and analysis of data from a remote cardiac rhythm monitoring system over a period of up to 30 days. |
270 | $19 | $35 |
| Remote monitoring of implantable heart rhythm device Evaluation of data transmitted remotely from an implantable cardiovascular monitor, such as a loop recorder or subcutaneous cardiac rhythm monitor, over a period up to 30 days. |
259 | $30 | $48 |
| Remote pacemaker monitoring, 90 days Remote assessment of a pacemaker system, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless devices, performed up to 90 days apart. |
249 | $22 | $57 |
| 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. |
108 | $67 | $119 |
| Remote evaluation of implantable defibrillator system Remote assessment of a single, dual, or multiple lead implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the previous evaluation. |
86 | $26 | $101 |
| Remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days Remote evaluation of a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the last check. |
54 | $18 | $58 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
47 | $138 | $235 |
| Technetium Tc-99m sestamibi diagnostic injection A diagnostic injection of technetium Tc-99m sestamibi used for imaging studies. |
45 | $74 | $115 |
| Nuclear stress test of heart muscle A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow to the heart muscle at rest and during stress using a special camera. |
44 | $340 | $993 |
| Chest X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the chest that captures two different angles to visualize the lungs, heart, and chest wall. |
34 | $26 | $47 |
| Pacemaker programming, dual lead system Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings. |
24 | $56 | $100 |
| Atrial fibrillation ablation with pulmonary vein isolation A procedure to treat atrial fibrillation by mapping the heart's electrical activity and destroying tissue causing irregular contractions. This is done by isolating the pulmonary veins using catheter-based destruction. |
20 | $773 | $1,367 |
| Pacemaker insertion with heart chamber electrodes A surgical procedure to implant a pacemaker device and place electrodes into the upper and lower chambers of the heart to regulate heart rhythm. |
17 | $418 | $648 |
| Continuous external EKG monitoring, 8-15 days This procedure involves recording heart rhythm continuously using an external EKG device over a period of 8 to 15 days. |
16 | $9 | $20 |
| Hospital discharge day management, 30 minutes or less This service covers the final day of hospital care when the patient is being discharged. It includes coordination of care and instructions for the patient within a time frame of 30 minutes or less. |
16 | $65 | $87 |
| External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm. |
15 | $21 | $35 |
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
8.6% high complexity
46.0% medium
45.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$26,145
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,735/year across 7 years
Top 16% in TX for cardiovascular disease
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
39
Companies
458
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$794
2023
$1,304
2022
$2,033
2021
$920
2020
$486
2019
$4,426
2018
$16,181
Payments by company (2024)
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$133
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$116
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$98
Novo Nordisk Inc
$95
PFIZER INC.
$76
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$67
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$54
Medtronic, Inc.
$53
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$43
Baxter Healthcare
$17
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$14
HEARTFLOW, INC.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 43.7% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$16,953
Abbott Laboratories
$1,916
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$1,480
PFIZER INC.
$568
Amgen Inc.
$511
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$498
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$442
Novo Nordisk Inc
$371
Boston Scientific Corporation
$355
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$311
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$304
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$295
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$284
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$215
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$175
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$174
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$144
CARDIVA MEDICAL, INC.
$137
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$121
NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
$119
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$98
Medtronic, Inc.
$97
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$84
BIOTRONIK INC.
$65
Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.
$58
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$54
Endologix LLC
$47
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$41
Allergan Inc.
$31
Vifor Pharma, Inc.
$31
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$29
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$28
Biocompatibles, Inc.
$19
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$18
BRACCO DIAGNOSTICS INC.
$17
Baxter Healthcare
$17
HEARTFLOW, INC.
$14
Preventice Services, LLC
$13
Medicure Pharma Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 77.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AFX2 Bifurcated Endograft System · AVEIR · Arctic Front · Azure · BRILINTA · BYSTOLIC · CAMZYOS · CARDENE · CARDIOMEMS · CARDIVA VASCADE 5F VCS · CARDIVA VASCADE 6/7F VCS · CARDIVA VASCADE MVP VVCS 6-12F · CHANTIX · Cardiogen-82 · Corlanor · CryoConsole · ELELYSO · ELIQUIS · ENDURANT IIS · ENTRESTO · Ensite Cardiac Mapping System · FFRct · General - Therapies · Hillrom - Carnation Ambulatory Monitor · Inpefa · JARDIANCE · Kerendia · LEQVIO · LEXISCAN · LIVALO · LifeVest · Livalo · MITRACLIP · MULTAQ · MitraClip System · NEXLETOL · OPSUMIT · OPTIMIZER · Optimizer · Optimizer Smart System · Ozempic · PRADAXA · PRALUENT · REFLEXION SPIRAL · Repatha · Solia · TEGSEDI · TYRX · UPTRAVI · VARITHENA · VERQUVO · VYNDAMAX · VYNDAQEL · Vascepa · Veltassa · WATCHMAN Access System · WATCHMAN FLX · Wegovy · XARELTO · ZIO XT Patch · ZYPITAMAG · Zio monitor
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Geographic Context
Cardiologists in nearby ZIP areas
385
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
MEMORIAL HERMANN - TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | NPPES snapshot; verify current record |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | PECOS snapshot |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not included | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Lopez is a cardiac & remote specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% in TX), with 20 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Lopez experienced with regadenoson injection (lexiscan) for heart stress test?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lopez performed 1,324 regadenoson injection (lexiscan) for heart stress test services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Lopez receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lopez received a total of $26,145 from 39 companies across 458 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. Lopez's costs compare to other cardiologists in Houston?
Dr. Lopez's average Medicare payment per service is $247. 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. Lopez) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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. Data Coverage reflects 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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