Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Jantzen Thorns, M.D.

Surgery · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
20207 CHASEWOOD PARK DR, Houston, TX 77070
8325347600
In practice since 2011 (14 years)
NPI: 1972881100 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. Thorns 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. Thorns? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Thorns

Dr. Jantzen Thorns is a surgery in Houston, TX, with 14 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Thorns performed 1,574 Medicare services across 610 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Thorns received a total of $38,335 from 18 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 86 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Thorns 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▲ Top 5% volume in TX$ $38,335 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,574
Medicare services
Top 5% in TX for surgery
610
Unique beneficiaries
$96
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~112 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Nursing facility visit, low complexity554$61$177
Removal of muscle and/or tissue, 20.0 sq cm or less284$191$582
Nursing facility visit, moderate complexity199$86$254
Application of chemical to stop tissue regrowth in wound101$66$236
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity75$64$122
Removal of skin and tissue, 20.0 sq cm or less69$102$340
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity66$105$227
Subsequent nursing facility care with straightforward level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 10 minutes63$32$95
Removal of muscle and/or tissue, each additional 20.0 sq cm or less38$61$181
Initial hospital admission, high complexity31$140$333
Initial nursing facility care with straightforward or low level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 25 minutes31$65$189
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)21$66$121
Initial nursing facility care with moderate level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 35 minutes17$109$313
New patient office visit (30-44 min)14$68$176
Removal of gallbladder with x-ray study of bile ducts using an endoscope11$594$1,955
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 ↗
$38,335
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $5,476/year across 7 years
Top 7% in TX for surgery
18
Companies
86
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$29,111 (75.9%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$8,844 (23.1%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$380 (1.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$78
2023
$758
2022
$700
2021
$29,109
2020
$1,079
2019
$572
2018
$6,039

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$33,484
ACELL, INC.
$1,317
Globus Medical, Inc.
$876
Davol Inc.
$711
TELA Bio, Inc.
$502
Medtronic, Inc.
$482
Covidien LP
$380
Ethicon US, LLC
$287
CooperSurgical, Inc.
$75
PolyNovo North America LLC
$60
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$39
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$25
Mallinckrodt LLC
$21
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$18
Biom'Up France SAS
$17
Aesculap, Inc.
$15
Allergan Inc.
$14
BAXTER HEALTHCARE
$13
Top 3 companies account for 93.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BRIDION · DALVANCE · Da Vinci Surgical System · ECHELON FLEX Stapler · ENDOSKELETON TL NANOLOCK SURFACE TECHNOLOGY · Echelon Endopath Staple Line Reinforcement · Echelon Flex · Echelon Powered Circular · Echelon; Endopath · HEMOBLAST BELLOWS · MONUMENT · NO APPLICABLE MARKETED PRODUCT NAME · NOVOSORB BTM · OFIRMEV · OviTex Reinforced Bioscaffold With Permanent Polymer (OviTex) · Ovitex · PICO · PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM · Phasix · Phasix Mesh · STEALTHSTATION S8 PLATFORM · SURGICEL Family of Absorbable Hemostats · TISSEEL · Uterine Manipulators & Injectors
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 (76%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for surgery in TX.

Equivalent to $2,436 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a surgery in Houston?
Compare surgerys in the Houston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Surgerys within 10 mi
521
Per 100K population
10.9
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK HOSPITAL
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/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. Thorns is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in TX), and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 7%).

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. Thorns experienced with nursing facility visit, low complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Thorns performed 554 nursing facility visit, low complexity 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. Thorns receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Thorns received a total of $38,335 from 18 companies across 86 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. Thorns's costs compare to other surgerys in Houston?
Dr. Thorns's average Medicare payment per service is $96. 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. Thorns) 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 →
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 →