Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Jessica Stark, MD

Neurological Surgery · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
6400 FANNIN ST STE 2150, Houston, TX 77030
7134868100
In practice since 2012 (13 years)
NPI: 1174888341 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. Stark 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. Stark

Dr. Jessica Stark is a neurological surgery specialist in Houston, TX, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Stark performed 513 Medicare services across 390 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Stark received a total of $41,373 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 616 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological surgery. 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. Stark 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.

✓ 13 years in practice ▲ Top 27% volume in TX $41,373 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
513
Medicare services
Top 27% in TX for neurological surgery
390
Unique beneficiaries
$253
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~39 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
Fusion of additional segment of spine 102 $317 $2,219
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 59 $167 $479
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) 59 $136 $456
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity 50 $65 $200
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 41 $71 $223
Insertion of cage or mesh device to spine bone and disc space during spine fusion 36 $218 $1,320
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 27 $99 $322
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity 18 $102 $359
Initial hospital care with straightforward or low level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 40 minutes 17 $65 $262
Insertion of programmable spinal canal drug infusion pump 15 $230 $2,192
Placement of stabilizing device to back, 3-6 spine bone segments 14 $645 $5,934
Placement of stabilizing device to back, 7-12 spine bone segments 14 $657 $6,528
Fusion of spine in neck by posterior approach 13 $569 $7,353
Fusion of spine in lower back with partial removal of spine bone and disc 13 $1,122 $9,683
Partial removal of bone of single segment of spine in lower back with release of spinal cord and/or nerves during fusion of spine in lower back 12 $218 $931
New patient office or other outpatient visit, 15-29 minutes 12 $40 $190
Partial removal of spine bone with exploration and/or release of upper spinal cord or nerves, more than 2 segments 11 $1,219 $7,789
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.
37.2% high complexity
0.0% medium
62.8% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$41,373
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $5,910/year across 7 years
Top 15% in TX for neurological surgery
14
Companies
616
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
$21,876 (52.9%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$19,497 (47.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$26,399
2023
$3,515
2022
$3,278
2021
$1,321
2020
$1,179
2019
$4,180
2018
$1,502

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Stryker Corporation
$24,810
NuVasive, Inc.
$4,675
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$3,833
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$1,982
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,329
SI-BONE, INC.
$1,317
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$1,113
SI-BONE, Inc.
$778
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$691
Globus Medical, Inc.
$452
Providence Medical Technology, Inc.
$202
Abbott Laboratories
$128
Cerapedics Inc.
$36
Ethicon US, LLC
$27
Top 3 companies account for 80.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
3D Printed PLIF/TLIF · ALIF · ALLOGRAFT BIO-IMPLANTS · ALTERA · BASE · CAPRI · CAPRI CORPECTOMY CAGE SYSTEM · CASCADIA · CASCADIA INTERBODY SYSTEM · CASPIAN SPINAL SYSTEM · CAYMAN BUTTRESS PLATES · CAYMAN PLATE SYSTEM · COHERE · CONDUIT · CORPECTOMY CAGE · CoRoent · ES2 · ESCALATE · EVEREST MI · EVEREST SPINAL SYSTEM · EVEREST XT · EXPEDIUM · Excelsius Deformity · Excelsius Robotics System · FIBERGRAFT Aeridyan Matrix · GENERAL K2M PRODUCT DISCUSSION · Graft Delivery System · I-FACTOR PEPTIDE ENHANCED BONE GRAFT · IFUSE IMPLANT · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · LITE BIO DELIVERY SYSTEM · LessRay · MAZOR X SYSTEM · MESA SPINAL SYSTEM · MONTEREY AL · MaXcess-C · MazorX - Renaissance · N/A · NAPA · NATURAL BRIDGE · NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTS · NILE · NVM5 · O-ARM-ST · OASYS · OZARK CERVICAL PLATE SYSTEM · Osteocel · Other - Miscellaneous · PIVOX Oblique Lateral Spinal System · PROCLAIM · PROLIFT · Pulse · RAVINE · RELINE · RESTORE · SABLE · SERENGETI · SERRATO · SKYLINE · SPINEJACK · SR90D · STEALTHSTATION S8 PLATFORM · STRATAFIX · SWIFTSET · SYMPHONY · StealthStation · TLIF · TLX · TRITANIUM · Teligen · UNID_PASS · VITOSS · VLIFT · XIA · XIA 3 · XLIF · YUKON · YUKON OCT SPINAL SYSTEM · iFuse Implant · iGA
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 (53%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $8,065 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a neurological surgery specialist in Houston?
Compare neurological surgerists in the Houston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Neurological surgerists within 10 mi
170
Per 100K population
3.6
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
MEMORIAL HERMANN - TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER
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. Stark is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 27% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 15% of TX peers.

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. Stark experienced with fusion of additional segment of spine?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Stark performed 102 fusion of additional segment of spine 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. Stark receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Stark received a total of $41,373 from 14 companies across 616 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. Stark's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in Houston?
Dr. Stark's average Medicare payment per service is $253. 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. Stark) 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 →