Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Brian Bruel, M.D., M.B.A
Interventional Pain Medicine Physician · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Bruel 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. Bruel?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Bruel
Dr. Brian Bruel is an interventional pain medicine physician in Houston, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Bruel performed 3,426 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Bruel received a total of $233,685 from 74 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1125 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. Bruel 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.
✓ 19 years of NPI registration
▲ Top 31% volume in TX
$233,685 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗3,426
Medicare services
Top 31% in TX for interventional pain medicine physician
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$52
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
1,086 | $94 | $334 |
| Midazolam injection, per 1 mg Administration of midazolam hydrochloride, a sedative medication, measured in 1 mg increments. |
540 | $0 | $10 |
| Drug screening test A laboratory test that uses a chemistry analyzer to detect the presence of drugs in a sample. |
483 | $60 | $343 |
| Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) A contrast agent containing 300-399 mg/ml of iodine used to enhance imaging studies. It is administered per milliliter to improve the visibility of internal structures. |
301 | $0 | $10 |
| 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. |
187 | $65 | $236 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 147 | $6 | $50 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
127 | $10 | $37 |
| Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg. |
108 | $0 | $50 |
| Ultrasound guidance for needle placement Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
77 | $43 | $153 |
| Spinal drug pump reprogramming and refill A physician electronically adjusts the settings of a spinal drug infusion pump and refills its medication reservoir. |
57 | $68 | $247 |
| Contrast dye for imaging, lower concentration | 47 | $0 | $10 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
43 | $145 | $431 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
43 | $1 | $12 |
| 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. |
39 | $125 | $434 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
33 | $230 | $661 |
| Electronic analysis of spinal drug pump An electronic evaluation of a spinal canal drug infusion pump to check its function and settings. |
32 | $23 | $83 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
20 | $52 | $170 |
| 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. |
20 | $137 | $469 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
19 | $82 | $310 |
| Additional sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into an additional sacral spine nerve root level, guided by imaging. |
17 | $97 | $299 |
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.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$233,685
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $33,384/year across 7 years
Top 1% in TX for interventional pain medicine physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
74
Companies
1,125
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
$75,850
2023
$29,728
2022
$19,479
2021
$40,645
2020
$19,908
2019
$10,657
2018
$37,419
Payments by company (2024)
Saluda Medical Americas, Inc.
$53,924
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$7,662
Medtronic, Inc.
$5,718
BIOTRONIK NRO, Inc.
$2,400
SI-BONE, INC.
$999
Abbott Laboratories
$884
MML US, Inc.
$837
ABBVIE INC.
$599
Boston Scientific Corporation
$502
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$490
Spinal Simplicity, LLC
$446
PAINTEQ LLC
$341
Nevro Corp.
$294
PFIZER INC.
$184
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$175
Curonix LLC
$98
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$64
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$52
Masimo Corporation
$40
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$37
PIRAMAL CRITICAL CARE
$35
Innovation Technologies Inc
$26
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$21
Top 3 companies account for 88.7% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Saluda Medical Americas, Inc.
$67,891
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$33,796
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$28,945
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$23,733
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$11,657
Biogen, Inc.
$10,727
Boston Scientific Corporation
$9,170
Flowonix Medical Incorporated
$7,655
Medtronic, Inc.
$6,861
Abbott Laboratories
$4,906
MML US, Inc.
$4,129
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$3,735
Spinal Simplicity, LLC
$2,776
BIOTRONIK NRO, Inc.
$2,400
Nevro Corp.
$1,894
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$1,193
ABBVIE INC.
$1,155
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$1,022
SI-BONE, INC.
$1,013
PAINTEQ LLC
$896
Vertiflex, Inc.
$870
AbbVie Inc.
$832
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$701
VGI Medical, LLC
$527
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$462
Allergan, Inc.
$358
PFIZER INC.
$339
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$328
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$314
Foundation Fusion Solutions, LLC
$266
Piramal Critical Care
$247
MERZ NORTH AMERICA, INC.
$237
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$205
Stimwave Technologies Incorporated
$180
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$157
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$142
Amgen Inc.
$126
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$124
Curonix LLC
$123
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$122
GRT US Holding, Inc.
$121
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$118
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$81
Bioventus LLC
$74
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$67
Masimo Corporation
$62
Lilly USA, LLC
$59
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$56
Merz North America, Inc.
$55
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$55
Allergan Inc.
$54
Eisai Inc.
$50
Almatica Pharma LLC
$49
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$46
Pacira Therapeutics, Inc.
$44
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$43
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$43
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc.
$39
Innovation Technologies Inc
$39
BIODELIVERY SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
$37
PIRAMAL CRITICAL CARE
$35
Zyla Life Sciences, Inc.
$32
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$28
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$22
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$21
Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc.
$17
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$17
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$16
Stratus Medical, LLC
$16
ASSERTIO THERAPEUTICS, Inc.
$16
HydroCision, Inc.
$14
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$14
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$14
Top 3 companies account for 55.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIMOVIG · Accurian · Aimovig · Axium INS DRG IPG · BELBUCA · BOTOX · BOTOX THERAPEUTIC · COMIRNATY · CONTRAVE · Cambia · DRG IPGs · DSUVIA · DUEXIS · Dayvigo · EMGALITY · ETERNA · Evoke · Evoke SCS · GABLOFEN · GABLOFEN 1 mL in 1 SYRINGE · GELSYN 3 · GELSYN-3 · GENERAL THERAPIES · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GLASS · GRALISE · General - Pain Management · General - Therapies · HA MINUTEMAN G3-R · HORIZANT · Horizant · IFUSE IMPLANT · IFUSE IMPLANT SYSTEM · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · IRRISEPT · Intracept · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · Kloxxado · LICART · LIORESAL · Movantik · NA · NAPRELAN · NURTEC ODT · Nalu Neurostimulation System · Neuromodulation Dspsbls and Accs · Nimbus · Nucynta · OCTRODE · ORTHOVISC · OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION · Octrode SCS Leads · Omnia · PAINTEQ · PAXLOVID · PENNSAID · PNS FREEDOM-4A PERMANENT NEUROSTIMULATOR RECEIVER KIT CHANNEL A · PRIALT · PROCLAIM · Patient SafetyNet System · PlasmaBlade · Prialt · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · Prodigy Family of SCS IPGs · Prometra II · Prospera · QULIPTA · QUTENZA · QUVIVIQ · Qutenza · RELISTOR · ReActiv8 · SCS IPGs · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SPINRAZA · SPRINT PNS System · SPRIX · SUPERION · SYNCHROMED · SYNCHROMEDII · Seglentis · Senza · Senza II · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · SiJoin · SiJoin/VerteLoc · Stimrouter Implantable Kit · Superion · Superion ISS · Superion Indirect Decompression System · TENJET · Trodelvy · UBRELVY · V-LOC 180 · VECTRIS · Vanta · WAVEWRITER ALPHA · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XEOMIN · XTAMPZA · Xeomin · ZTLido · Zilretta · mild Device Kit · movantik
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
Interventional pain medicine physicians in nearby ZIP areas
31
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK HOSPITAL
4.1 mi
4.1 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. Bruel is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with 19 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. Bruel experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Bruel performed 1,086 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Bruel receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Bruel received a total of $233,685 from 74 companies across 1,125 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. Bruel's costs compare to other interventional pain medicine physicians in Houston?
Dr. Bruel's average Medicare payment per service is $52. 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. Bruel) 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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