Dr. Erwin Winkel, MD
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 across 2,153 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Winkel received a total of $7,041 from 53 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 303 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Winkel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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 ›
Most payments (94%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
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. Winkel is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 10% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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
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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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