Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Erwin Winkel, MD
Optician · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
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. Winkel 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. Winkel
Dr. Erwin Winkel is an optician specialist in Houston, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Winkel performed 7,091 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Winkel received a total of $7,041 from 53 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 303 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. Winkel 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 10% volume in TX
$7,041 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗7,091
Medicare services
Top 10% in TX for optician
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$22
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRI contrast dye injection (gadoterate) Administration of gadoterate meglumine, a contrast agent, in a 0.1 ml dose. |
2,550 | $0 | $0 |
| 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. |
1,600 | $0 | $0 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
1,009 | $3 | $9 |
| 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. |
722 | $65 | $245 |
| Bladder ultrasound after voiding An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder. |
445 | $8 | $29 |
| 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. |
196 | $92 | $352 |
| Cystourethroscopy A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract. |
134 | $187 | $647 |
| Leuprolide acetate (for depot suspension), 7.5 mg | 102 | $130 | $507 |
| Initial hospital admission, low complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving straightforward or low-level medical decision making, with at least 40 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
56 | $65 | $249 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
50 | $73 | $297 |
| 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. |
45 | $107 | $453 |
| Transrectal ultrasound of the pelvis An ultrasound imaging procedure where a probe is inserted into the rectum to visualize pelvic structures. |
33 | $112 | $377 |
| Simple insertion of temporary bladder tube A procedure to place a temporary tube into the bladder. This allows for the drainage of urine from the bladder. |
32 | $45 | $171 |
| Computer-assisted urine cell examination A laboratory test that uses computer technology to analyze cells found in a urine sample. |
23 | $302 | $1,047 |
| Injection, garamycin, gentamicin, up to 80 mg | 23 | $2 | $6 |
| Shock wave crushing of kidney stones A procedure that uses shock waves to break kidney stones into smaller pieces so they can pass more easily from the body. |
15 | $420 | $2,038 |
| Ureteral stone crushing with stent insertion An endoscope is used to break up a stone in the ureter, followed by the placement of a stent to keep the ureter open. |
15 | $330 | $1,100 |
| Prostate gland biopsy A procedure to remove small samples of tissue from the prostate gland for laboratory examination. |
15 | $184 | $668 |
| CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis using contrast dye before and after administration to visualize internal structures. |
14 | $189 | $908 |
| MRI of pelvis with and without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the pelvic area performed both before and after the administration of a contrast dye to enhance image detail. |
12 | $187 | $826 |
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.
0.2% high complexity
66.2% medium
33.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$7,041
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,006/year across 7 years
Top 22% in TX for optician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
53
Companies
303
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
$935
2023
$1,004
2022
$1,114
2021
$1,163
2020
$642
2019
$1,058
2018
$1,125
Payments by company (2024)
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$203
Teleflex LLC
$148
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$114
Endo USA, Inc.
$84
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$78
180 Medical, Inc.
$77
Boston Scientific Corporation
$47
ABBVIE INC.
$46
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$24
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$23
UROGEN PHARMA, INC.
$21
Laborie Medical Technologies Corp.
$20
PFIZER INC.
$19
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$16
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 49.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$786
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$465
NeoTract Inc.
$423
Teleflex LLC
$403
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$393
ConvaTec Inc.
$389
180 Medical, Inc.
$383
PFIZER INC.
$376
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$339
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$337
Boston Scientific Corporation
$257
UROVANT SCIENCES INC
$214
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$186
AbbVie Inc.
$176
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$159
Dornier MedTech America, Inc
$138
ABBVIE INC.
$119
Myovant Sciences Inc.
$116
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$114
Coloplast Corp
$113
AbbVie, Inc.
$95
Endo USA, Inc.
$84
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$78
Allergan Inc.
$78
Allergan, Inc.
$61
Retrophin, Inc.
$58
Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$48
COLOPLAST CORP
$47
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$43
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$38
Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$38
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$38
UROGEN PHARMA, INC.
$35
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$28
Agiliti Surgical, Inc.
$26
ACELL, INC.
$26
Medtronic, Inc.
$25
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$24
EDAP TECHNOMED INC
$23
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$23
ABC Home Medical Supply, Inc.
$23
UroGen Pharma, Inc.
$23
Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited
$22
Laborie Medical Technologies Corp.
$20
RGH Enterprises, Inc.
$20
Olympus America Inc.
$19
Amgen Inc.
$19
Hollister Incorporated
$18
MEDIVATION FIELD SOLUTIONS LLC
$16
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$16
GENZYME CORPORATION
$15
TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 23.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(815) Thiola · ADSTILADRIN · AFINITOR · AQUABEAM SYSTEM · AVEED · Altis · Androgel · Axumin · BOTOX · BOTOX THERAPEUTIC · BRIDION · CATHETER · CURE HYDRO · EDEX · ELIGARD · ERLEADA · Erleada · GEMTESA · GENERAL BPH · GENERAL THERAPIES · GENERAL BPH · GENERAL ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION · GENERAL KIDNEY STONE DISEASE · GENTLECATH · GREENLIGHT · General - BPH · GentleCath · INTERSTIM · JELMYTO · JEVTANA · LUPRON DEPOT · LYNPARZA · Lithotripters & Accessories · Lupron · Lupron Depot · MYRBETRIQ · Myrbetriq · NANOKNIFE · NOCDURNA · Natesto · Nubeqa · ORGOVYX · OTREXUP · Olympus Laser Devices · Optilume BPH Drug Coated Balloon Catheter · Otrexup · PROVENGE · PYLARIFY · Porges Coloplast · RESTORELLE · REZUM · Rezum Generator · TLANDO · TOVIAZ · Thiola · Tria Firm · UROLIFT · UroLift · UroLift System · VaPro Pocket · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XGEVA · XIAFLEX · XTANDI · XYOSTED · Xtandi · rezum Generator
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
Opticians in nearby ZIP areas
455
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE NORTHWEST
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. Winkel is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 10% in TX), 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. Winkel experienced with mri contrast dye injection (gadoterate)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Winkel performed 2,550 mri contrast dye injection (gadoterate) 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. Winkel receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Winkel received a total of $7,041 from 53 companies across 303 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. Winkel's costs compare to other opticians in Houston?
Dr. Winkel's average Medicare payment per service is $22. 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. Winkel) 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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