Medicare Enrolled
Dr. David Nelson, M.D.
Legal Medicine · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Nelson 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. Nelson?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Nelson
Dr. David Nelson is a legal medicine specialist in Houston, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Nelson performed 2,484 Medicare services across 1,981 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Nelson received a total of $7,122 from 53 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 430 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in legal medicine. 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. Nelson 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 19% volume in TX
$7,122 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,484
Medicare services
Top 19% in TX for legal medicine
1,981
Unique beneficiaries
$40
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~131 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
344 | $88 | $292 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
271 | $10 | $31 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
239 | $8 | $20 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
235 | $13 | $40 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
191 | $10 | $25 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
179 | $16 | $50 |
| 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. |
173 | $67 | $206 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
168 | $131 | $298 |
| Urine microalbumin test (kidney screening) A laboratory test that measures the amount of microalbumin, a small protein, in a urine sample. This test is used to detect early signs of kidney damage. |
89 | $6 | $12 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
89 | $5 | $11 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
60 | $19 | $40 |
| 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. |
51 | $10 | $32 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
41 | $8 | $17 |
| Advance care planning consultation, first 30 min A session focused on discussing and documenting future healthcare preferences and goals. This service covers the initial 30 minutes of the planning discussion. |
39 | $76 | $188 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
35 | $42 | $128 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
31 | $31 | $50 |
| Annual depression screening | 30 | $19 | $43 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
28 | $72 | $122 |
| Transitional care management services, moderate complexity Services provided to coordinate care during the transition from an inpatient or other facility setting back to the community. This includes follow-up and management of a health problem of at least moderate complexity. |
24 | $160 | $467 |
| Respiratory virus detection test A laboratory test using immunoassay techniques to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and influenza viruses. |
21 | $46 | $131 |
| Annual alcohol misuse screening, 5 to 15 minutes | 21 | $19 | $43 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) | 20 | $18 | $40 |
| Initial preventive physical examination, new Medicare beneficiary A comprehensive preventive health visit for new Medicare beneficiaries during their first 12 months of enrollment. The service is conducted as a face-to-face visit and is limited to preventive care. |
18 | $167 | $377 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
17 | $2 | $5 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
17 | $29 | $60 |
| Annual wellness visit, initial visit A yearly appointment to review your health and create a personalized prevention plan. This initial visit focuses on preventive care and health assessment. |
15 | $167 | $376 |
| Total testosterone level test A blood test that measures the total amount of testosterone in your body. This hormone is important for various bodily functions in both men and women. |
14 | $25 | $52 |
| 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. |
13 | $11 | $34 |
| Assessment of emotional or behavioral problems An evaluation to identify and understand emotional or behavioral issues. This process involves reviewing symptoms and behaviors to determine the nature of the concerns. |
11 | $3 | $12 |
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 ↗$7,122
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,017/year across 7 years
Top 7% in TX for legal medicine
53
Companies
430
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
$7,122 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,116
2023
$1,485
2022
$1,229
2021
$1,074
2020
$919
2019
$585
2018
$715
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novo Nordisk Inc
$951
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$697
ABBVIE INC.
$517
PFIZER INC.
$444
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$414
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$407
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$355
Lilly USA, LLC
$320
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$264
AbbVie Inc.
$203
Davol Inc.
$152
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$152
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$151
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$148
Corium, LLC
$143
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$129
Allergan Inc.
$125
Medtronic, Inc.
$123
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$112
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$107
Eisai Inc.
$85
Amgen Inc.
$83
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$82
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$71
Abbott Laboratories
$69
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$60
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$60
Dexcom, Inc.
$57
Lupin Inc.
$51
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$48
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$43
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$43
Allergan, Inc.
$38
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$35
Nevro Corp.
$33
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$31
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$31
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$30
Shire North American Group Inc
$24
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$23
Ethicon US, LLC
$23
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$20
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$19
Adhera Therapeutics, Inc.
$18
AbbVie, Inc.
$17
Alkermes, Inc.
$16
CeQur Corporation
$16
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$16
Clarus Therapeutics Inc.
$15
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$14
Exact Sciences Corporation
$14
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$12
Bausch Health US, LLC
$11
Top 3 companies account for 30.4% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ABRE · ABRYSVO · AIRSUPRA · APLENZIN · AREXVY · ARISTADA · AZSTARYS · Aimovig · Azstarys · BREZTRI · BREZTRI AEROSPHERE · BYSTOLIC · CHANTIX · COLOGUARD · COMIRNATY · CeQur Simplicity · Cologuard Collection Kit · DUZALLO · Dayvigo · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · Edarbi · FARXIGA · FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · GEMTESA · Heplisav-B · INSPIRE · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · JATENZO · Kerendia · LINX Reflux Management System · LINZESS · Livalo · MOUNJARO · MYDAYIS · MYRBETRIQ · NOCDURNA · NUEDEXTA · NURTEC ODT · NUZYRA · OTREXUP · Otezla · Otovel · Ozempic · PAXLOVID · PRESTALIA · PREVNAR - 13 · PREVNAR 13 · PREVNAR 20 · Progel Applicator Spray Tips · QELBREE · QULIPTA · RYBELSUS · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SOLOSEC · SUNOSI · SUPRAX · SYMBICORT · Saxenda · Senza · Synthroid · TOVIAZ · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TRULICITY · TRUMENBA · UBRELVY · UNITHROID · Uloric · VRAYLAR · VYVANSE · Vascepa · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · XYOSTED · XYREM · Xyrem
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. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for legal medicine in TX.
Equivalent to $287 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Legal medicines within 10 mi
11
Per 100K population
0.2
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
LONE STAR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CYPRESS
5.9 mi
5.9 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. Nelson is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 19% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 7% of TX peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.
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. Nelson experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Nelson performed 344 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Nelson receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Nelson received a total of $7,122 from 53 companies across 430 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. Nelson's costs compare to other legal medicines in Houston?
Dr. Nelson's average Medicare payment per service is $40. 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. Nelson) 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.
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