Medicare Enrolled

Dr. David Cuthbertson, M.D.

Otolaryngology · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1 BAYLOR PLZ, Houston, TX 77030
7137985906
In practice since 2011 (14 years)
NPI: 1750679338 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. Cuthbertson 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. Cuthbertson

Dr. David Cuthbertson is an otolaryngology specialist in Houston, TX, with 14 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cuthbertson performed 438 Medicare services across 398 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cuthbertson received a total of $1,561 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 44 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in otolaryngology. 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. Cuthbertson 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.

✓ 14 years in practice ▲ 438 Medicare services $1,561 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
438
Medicare services
Bottom 34% in TX for otolaryngology
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
398
Unique beneficiaries
$72
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~31 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.

Procedure Volume Avg. paid Avg. submitted
New patient office visit (45-59 min) 80 $114 $250
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 72 $63 $101
Diagnostic exam of voice box using a flexible endoscope 47 $92 $225
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) 43 $41 $75
Test to assess middle ear function 37 $9 $40
New patient office visit (30-44 min) 37 $79 $175
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 35 $70 $153
Comprehensive hearing and speech recognition test 23 $24 $90
Removal of impacted ear wax 18 $28 $137
Exam of the nose and throat using an endoscope 18 $75 $249
Ct scan of face without contrast 15 $101 $350
Removal of nasal air passage under lining tissue 13 $171 $1,200
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 ↗
$1,561
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $223/year across 7 years
Top 47% in TX for otolaryngology
15
Companies
44
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
$1,561 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$225
2023
$107
2022
$207
2021
$225
2020
$102
2019
$324
2018
$370

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$647
Acclarent, Inc
$215
Arrinex, Inc.
$192
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$111
Aerin Medical Inc.
$80
GENZYME CORPORATION
$64
Stryker Corporation
$61
Intersect ENT, Inc.
$36
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$32
AERIN MEDICAL INC.
$31
Optinose US, Inc.
$25
OptiNose US, Inc.
$22
AbbVie, Inc.
$20
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$14
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$11
Top 3 companies account for 67.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCLARENT AERA EUSTACHIAN TUBE BALLOON DILATION SYSTEM · ACCLARENT Balloon Inflation Device · Acclarent Aera · CIPRODEX · Clarifix · DUPIXENT · ENTELLUS - FIAGON SINUS NAVIGATION SYSTEM · ENTELLUS - XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM · IMFINZI · INSPIRE · Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation System · OFIRMEV · PROPEL · RELIEVA SPINPLUS · Relieva Spinplus · TruDi Navigation System · VISUDYNE · VIVAER STYLUS · Venclexta · VivAer · Vivaer RF Stylus · Xhance
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $356 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for an otolaryngology specialist in Houston?
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Geographic Context

Otolaryngologists within 10 mi
210
Per 100K population
4.4
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
MEMORIAL HERMANN - TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER
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. Cuthbertson is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement.

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. Cuthbertson experienced with new patient office visit (45-59 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cuthbertson performed 80 new patient office visit (45-59 min) 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. Cuthbertson receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Cuthbertson received a total of $1,561 from 15 companies across 44 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. Cuthbertson's costs compare to other otolaryngologists in Houston?
Dr. Cuthbertson's average Medicare payment per service is $72. 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. Cuthbertson) 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 →

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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 →