Dr. Christopher Smith, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Smith
Dr. Christopher Smith is an urology physician in Houston, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Smith performed 19,581 Medicare services across 1,628 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Smith received a total of $7,077 from 18 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 63 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in urology physician. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Smith 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| High osmolar contrast material, up to 149 mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml | 11,050 | $0 | $1 |
| Botox injection, per unit | 6,650 | $5 | $18 |
| Urinalysis, manual | 414 | $3 | $11 |
| Bladder ultrasound after voiding | 301 | $8 | $54 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 276 | $94 | $354 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 149 | $115 | $461 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 106 | $64 | $250 |
| Diagnostic exam of bladder and urethra using an endoscope | 76 | $163 | $1,217 |
| Telephone medical discussion with physician, 11-20 minutes | 60 | $62 | $250 |
| Electronic assessment of bladder emptying | 53 | $6 | $130 |
| Complex measurement of pressure of urine flow in bladder with voiding pressure studies | 52 | $292 | $1,845 |
| Insertion of device into abdomen with pressure and urine flow rate study | 52 | $156 | $974 |
| Non-needle measurement and recording of electrical activity of muscles at bladder and bowel openings | 51 | $26 | $324 |
| Telephone medical discussion with physician, 5-10 minutes | 48 | $45 | $155 |
| Limited ultrasound scan behind abdominal cavity | 47 | $45 | $200 |
| Exam with injections of chemical for destruction of bladder using an endoscope | 40 | $316 | $1,973 |
| Injection procedure for imaging of bladder during voiding | 36 | $86 | $1,080 |
| Review by radiologist of urinary bladder and urethra images with contrast and after passing urine | 36 | $84 | $292 |
| Instillation of anti-cancer drug into bladder | 34 | $70 | $444 |
| Ultrasound scan of pelvic region through rectum | 22 | $110 | $387 |
| Insertion of peripheral or gastric neurostimulator generator | 16 | $75 | $816 |
| Electronic analysis of implanted neurostimulator generator with complex spinal cord or peripheral nerve stimulator programming | 12 | $33 | $113 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (61%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Geographic Context
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. Smith is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 4% in TX), and consulting-driven industry engagement, with 19 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. Smith experienced with high osmolar contrast material, up to 149 mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml?
Does Dr. Smith receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Smith's costs compare to other urology physicians in Houston?
What does Data Coverage mean?
Is this data up to date?
Explore related providers
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