Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Jon-Cecil Walkes, MD

Thoracic Surgery · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1900 NORTH LOOP W STE 180, Houston, TX 77018
2818880809
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1669472288 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. Walkes 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. Walkes? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Walkes

Dr. Jon-Cecil Walkes is a thoracic surgery specialist in Houston, TX, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Walkes performed 192 Medicare services across 141 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Walkes received a total of $4,691 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 120 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in thoracic 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. Walkes 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.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ Top 41% volume in TX $4,691 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
192
Medicare services
Top 41% in TX for thoracic surgery
141
Unique beneficiaries
$101
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~10 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 (20-29 min) 63 $69 $233
Ultrasound of leg arteries or artery grafts 37 $187 $791
Ultrasound study of arm or leg veins with compression and maneuvers 35 $127 $608
Ultrasound study of arm and leg arteries 34 $53 $265
New patient office visit (30-44 min) 23 $80 $334
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 ↗
$4,691
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $670/year across 7 years
Top 50% in TX for thoracic surgery
20
Companies
120
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
$4,691 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$386
2023
$777
2022
$480
2021
$976
2020
$1,087
2019
$497
2018
$489

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$1,172
Abbott Laboratories
$915
Medtronic, Inc.
$863
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$294
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$260
ABIOMED
$247
Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
$207
Covidien LP
$113
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$105
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$81
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$79
Boston Scientific Corporation
$75
AtriCure, Inc.
$70
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$46
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$32
Amgen Inc.
$31
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$29
Organogenesis Inc.
$26
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$22
Terumo Medical Corporation
$22
Top 3 companies account for 62.9% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM · AURYON LASER SYSTEM 100-120 VAC · AVEIR · Abre · Accent Pacemaker · Aortic and Mitral Tissue Stented Valves · CLOSUREFAST · CONFIRM RX · COREVALVE EVOLUT R · COVERA · CareLink · Chameleon · ClosureFast · Concerto · Confirm Rx · Diamondback Peripheral · EPIC · Evera · FLEXITOUCH · GRAFIX PL · Glidesheath · HawkOne · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device · IGT_D Peripheral · IN.PACT ADMIRAL · IN.PACT Admiral · Impella · KENGREAL · LifeSPARC System · Medtronic External Pacemakers · Micra · Puraply · QT Vascular Chocolate PTA Balloon · Quadra Assura CRT Defibrillator · RENASYS GO v2 HOME · Repatha · Santyl · TURBOHAWK · Trifecta GT Tissue Heart Valve · VENASEAL · VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with Heparin Bioactive Surface · VIABAHN VBX Balloon Expandable Endoprosthesis · Varithena Administration Pack · VenaSeal · XARELTO
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $2,443 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a thoracic surgery specialist in Houston?
Compare thoracic surgerists in the Houston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse thoracic surgerists nearby

Geographic Context

Thoracic surgerists within 10 mi
116
Per 100K population
2.4
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
MEMORIAL HERMANN HOSPITAL SYSTEM
2.1 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. Walkes is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 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. Walkes experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Walkes performed 63 office visit, established patient (20-29 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. Walkes receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Walkes received a total of $4,691 from 20 companies across 120 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. Walkes's costs compare to other thoracic surgerists in Houston?
Dr. Walkes's average Medicare payment per service is $101. 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. Walkes) 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 →

Explore related providers

Same specialty & city
Thoracic Surgerists in Houston
Browse thoracic surgerists in Houston ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Thoracic Surgerists in TX
Thoracic surgerists ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Thoracic Surgerists in TX
Which TX thoracic surgerists receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Medtronic Vascular, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
By company
Abbott Laboratories Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Abbott Laboratories.
By company
Medtronic, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Medtronic, Inc.
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 →