Medicare Enrolled
Dr. George West, MD
Neurological Surgery · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
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. West 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. West
Dr. George West is a neurological surgery specialist in Houston, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. West performed 662 Medicare services across 571 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. West received a total of $68,144 from 54 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 272 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological surgery. 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. West 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 20% volume in TX
$68,144 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗662
Medicare services
Top 20% in TX for neurological surgery
571
Unique beneficiaries
$342
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~35 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, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
171 | $140 | $421 |
| 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. |
101 | $131 | $483 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
91 | $208 | $1,376 |
| Lower back spinal fusion with bone and disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae in the lower back. It involves removing part of the spine bone and a disc to stabilize the area. |
36 | $1,473 | $9,279 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release during fusion This procedure involves removing part of the bone in a single segment of the lower spine to release the spinal cord or nerves, performed during a spinal fusion. |
35 | $213 | $1,330 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
31 | $668 | $5,521 |
| Placement of stabilizing device to back of 1 spine bone in neck A procedure involving the placement of a stabilizing device on the back of a single vertebra in the neck. |
24 | $625 | $3,940 |
| Fusion of upper spine bone with removal of disc and release of spinal cord or nerve, each additional disc | 23 | $327 | $2,073 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 22 | $178 | $600 |
| Spinal fusion with disc removal and nerve release, 1 disc This surgery connects two or more vertebrae in the upper spine to stabilize the area. It involves removing a damaged disc and relieving pressure on the spinal cord or nerve. |
21 | $1,415 | $8,882 |
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
21 | $323 | $2,012 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
20 | $174 | $1,072 |
| 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. |
18 | $93 | $323 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
17 | $630 | $3,943 |
| 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. |
16 | $91 | $317 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
15 | $600 | $3,792 |
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.
34.3% high complexity
0.0% medium
65.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$68,144
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $9,735/year across 7 years
Top 11% in TX for neurological surgery
54
Companies
272
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.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$32,495 (47.7%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$18,845 (27.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$16,804 (24.7%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$3,439
2023
$11,744
2022
$11,605
2021
$11,859
2020
$1,941
2019
$6,737
2018
$20,819
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Wenzel Spine, Inc.
$17,532
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$16,995
Medtronic, Inc.
$8,989
Providence Medical Technology, Inc.
$6,370
Spine Wave, Inc.
$2,529
NuVasive, Inc.
$1,974
Intrinsic Therapeutics
$1,854
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$1,780
Globus Medical, Inc.
$1,746
PROVIDENCE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
$1,594
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$1,412
SI-BONE, Inc.
$1,359
Brainlab, Inc.
$789
SpineSource, Inc.
$769
Abbott Laboratories
$287
Spineology Inc.
$240
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$189
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$183
Cerapedics Inc.
$153
Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corp.
$124
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$110
Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC
$99
Bioventus LLC
$93
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$89
SI-BONE, INC.
$69
KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America
$61
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$48
Choice Spine, LLC
$47
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$46
Arteriocyte Medical Systems, Inc.
$44
Nevro Corp.
$40
Integrity Implants Inc
$40
Boston Scientific Corporation
$34
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$33
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$33
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$32
Ethicon US, LLC
$27
Stryker Corporation
$27
NanoHive Medical LLC
$26
UCB, Inc.
$25
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$25
RTI Surgical, Inc.
$24
ulrich medical USA, Inc.
$22
Misonix Inc
$22
ABBVIE INC.
$21
Camber Spine Technologies
$20
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$17
PARADIGM SPINE, LLC
$17
Heron Therapeutics, Inc.
$15
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$14
Lilly USA, LLC
$14
InSightec,Inc
$14
Curonix LLC
$13
Stimwave Technologies Incorporated
$11
Top 3 companies account for 63.9% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
7D Surgical System · AMYVID · Airo · Allograft · Anterior Fusion · BARRICAID ACD (ANNULAR CLOSURE DEVICE) · BLACKHAWK CERVICAL SPACER SYSTEM · BONESCALPEL & SONICONE (O.R.) · BOTOX · Biomet SpinalPak · BoneScalpel · Buzz · CAT SIJ Fixation System · CAVUX Cervical Cage · CD HORIZON · CFNS StimQ Peripheral Nerve StimulatorSystem · CODMAN CERTAS · COHERE · CONCORDE · CONDUIT · CONFIDENCE · Catamaran Sacroiliac Joint Fixation System · Curve · Dysport · ENNOVATE SPINAL SYSTEM · Elements · Exablate · Exact Trac · Excelsius - GPS · FIBERGRAFT · FlareHawk · HYQVIA · Hive C · I-FACTOR PEPTIDE ENHANCED BONE GRAFT · IFUSE IMPLANT · INFINITY · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · Invictus MIS · Kick · LessRay · MATRIXNEURO · MAZOR X SYSTEM · MIDAS REX · MOUNTAINEER · Magellan · Mazor X Stealth Edition · Mobi-C · Neuromodulation Dspsbls and Accs · Node · Novalis · O-ARM-ST · Osteocel · Other Product · PNS FREEDOM-4A PERMANENT NEUROSTIMULATOR RECEIVER KIT CHANNEL A · PROCLAIM · Palisade Pedicle Screw System · Posterior Fusion · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · RELINE · RISE-L · ROI-A · Rystiggo · SABLE · SONASTAR · STEALTHSTATION S8 PLATFORM · STRATAFIX · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · Simplify Cervical Artificial Disc · Spinal Implants · Spinal-Stim Osteogenesis Stimulator · Teligen · TramaCad · ULTOMIRIS · UNIVERSAL NEURO 3 · VECTRIS · VIPER · VNS THERAPY SENTIVA MODEL 1000 GENERATOR · VNS Therapy · VariLift · Varilift · ViviGen · WAVEWRITER ALPHA · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XLIF · Xeomin · ZIO XT Patch · ZYNRELEF · coflex · iFuse Implant · varilift
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 →
The majority of payments (48%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Equivalent to $10,294 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Neurological surgerists within 10 mi
163
Per 100K population
3.4
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HOUSTON METHODIST WEST HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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. West is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 20% in TX), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 11% 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. West experienced with office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. West performed 171 office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 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. West receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. West received a total of $68,144 from 54 companies across 272 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. West's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in Houston?
Dr. West's average Medicare payment per service is $342. 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. West) 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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