Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Kristofer Charlton-Ouw, MD
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. Charlton-Ouw 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. Charlton-Ouw
Dr. Kristofer Charlton-Ouw is a surgery specialist in Houston, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Charlton-Ouw performed 595 Medicare services across 440 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Charlton-Ouw received a total of $39,131 from 59 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 358 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in 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. Charlton-Ouw 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 13% volume in TX
$39,131 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗595
Medicare services
Top 13% in TX for surgery
440
Unique beneficiaries
$72
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~31 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 (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. |
90 | $98 | $206 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
71 | $64 | $141 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an established patient with straightforward or low-level medical decision making. The visit requires at least 25 minutes of time spent on the day of service. |
55 | $39 | $78 |
| Ultrasound guidance for blood vessel access Use of ultrasound imaging to help locate and access a blood vessel. This guidance assists healthcare providers in performing procedures such as inserting IV lines or drawing blood. |
42 | $12 | $48 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
39 | $10 | $39 |
| 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. |
39 | $68 | $198 |
| 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. |
36 | $65 | $139 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries A non-invasive imaging test that uses sound waves to examine the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It evaluates blood flow and checks for blockages or other vascular issues. |
31 | $84 | $511 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in one arm or leg using compression and other maneuvers to assess blood flow and check for blockages. |
29 | $96 | $507 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to create images of the arteries in one leg or any grafts present in that leg. |
23 | $98 | $615 |
| Ultrasound of hemodialysis access An ultrasound imaging test used to evaluate the blood flow and structure of a hemodialysis access site. |
22 | $103 | $629 |
| 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. |
22 | $119 | $320 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It allows healthcare providers to examine the structure and blood flow within these arteries. |
21 | $53 | $330 |
| Radiologist review of abdominal aorta image A radiologist reviews images of the abdominal aorta to evaluate the blood vessel. |
19 | $55 | $177 |
| Radiologist review of arm or leg artery image A radiologist reviews images of the arteries in the arm or leg. This process involves analyzing the visual data to assess the blood vessels. |
19 | $67 | $199 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
15 | $152 | $748 |
| Insertion of tunneled central venous catheter for infusion, age 5+ A surgical procedure to place a long-term catheter into a large vein for delivering medications or fluids. The catheter is tunneled under the skin to reduce infection risk and provide stable access for patients aged 5 and older. |
11 | $183 | $880 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
11 | $97 | $268 |
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.
1.8% high complexity
30.8% medium
67.4% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$39,131
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $5,590/year across 7 years
Top 7% in TX for surgery
59
Companies
358
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
$17,742 (45.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$17,366 (44.4%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$4,023 (10.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$5,310
2023
$8,883
2022
$1,676
2021
$1,638
2020
$4,950
2019
$10,882
2018
$5,792
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$13,188
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$12,889
Medtronic, Inc.
$2,733
Inari Medical, Inc.
$1,328
Silk Road Medical, Inc.
$1,142
Cook Medical LLC
$998
Endologix LLC
$989
Endologix, Inc.
$524
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$499
Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
$407
Abbott Laboratories
$406
Merit Medical Systems Inc
$350
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$345
Boston Scientific Corporation
$281
Wound Management Technologies, Inc
$221
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$215
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$212
Bolton Medical Inc
$192
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$183
Ethicon US, LLC
$164
ABIOMED
$162
Penumbra, Inc.
$144
Cook Incorporated
$125
Checkpoint Surgical, Inc
$124
DAVOL INC.
$106
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$86
BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
$85
Stryker Corporation
$65
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$62
CHIESI USA, INC.
$57
Avinger Inc.
$54
Surmodics, Inc.
$53
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$51
PFIZER INC.
$50
Becton, Dickinson and Company
$47
Maquet Cardiovascular U.S. Sales, L.L.C.
$38
CashFlow Solutions, LLC
$38
Aziyo Biologics, Inc.
$38
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$34
Nevro Corp.
$34
LeMaitre Vascular, Inc.
$34
Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
$34
Vesper Medical
$30
Cardinal Health 200, LLC
$27
Kerecis Limited
$27
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$24
Aroa Biosurgery Incorporated
$23
MIMEDX Group, Inc.
$23
ETS Wound Care LLC
$22
Cagent Vascular INC
$21
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$20
ACELL, INC.
$20
Balt USA, LLC
$18
Amgen Inc.
$18
Sanara MedTech Inc.
$16
United Therapeutics Corporation
$16
Shockwave Medical, Inc
$16
Sirtex Medical Inc
$12
Admedus Corporation
$11
Top 3 companies account for 73.6% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(1648) IXR Philips Equip SV · ACUSEAL Vascular Graft · AFX · AURYON LASER SYSTEM 100-120 VAC · AlphaVac · Alto Abdominal Stent Graft System · AngioVac · Artis icono floor · CAROTID WALLSTENT · CLEVIPREX · CLEVIPREX 50MG/100ML · COLLAGENASE SANTYL · COOK · COOK MEDICAL AAA · COOK MEDICAL ADVANCED TECH · COOK MEDICAL THORACIC · COOK MEDICAL ZILVER PTX · COVERA · CT THROMBECTOMY SYSTEM KIT · CellerateRx · Chameleon · Channel Drain · Checkpoint Stimulators · Conformable TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · Cook Medical Thoracic · DIAMONDBACK PERIPHERAL · DUO Venous Stent System · Diamondback Peripheral · ECM · ELIQUIS · ELLIPSYS VASCULAR ACCESS SYSTEM · ENDOCROSS Device · ENDURANT IIS · ENROUTE Transcarotid Neuroprotection System · ENROUTE Transcarotid Stent · ESPRIT · EVICEL · EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · EXCLUDER Iliac Branch Endoprosthesis · Echelon Flex · Endurant · FLEXCEL CAROTID SHUNT · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · FUSION BIOLINE · FlowTriever · GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION · GENERAL - METALLIC STENTS · GENERAL ATHERECTOMY · GORE ACUSEAL Cardiovascular Patch Vascular · GORE EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · GORE EXCLUDER Thoracoabdominal Branch Endoprosthesis · GORE PROPATEN Vascular Graft · GRAFIX PL · HawkOne · HeRO Graft · Hi-Torque Command guide wire · INNOVA · INSPIRIS RESILIA aortic valve · Impella · JETI · JETI ALL IN ONE NON-STERILE KIT · JETI PERIPHERAL CATHETER · KENGREAL · Kerecis Omega3 SurgiClose · LAVA LES (Liquid Embolic System) · LIFESTENT · LYMPHA PRESS OPTIMAL PLUS(US) BT · Lutonix Drug Coated Balloon · MIRRAGEN ADVANCED WOUND MATRIX · MITRIS RESILIA Mitral Valve · ORENITRAM · PANTHERIS · PICO · PICO 7 · PROGEL · PROLENE · Penumbra Ruby Coil · Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy System · Prestige Coil System · Product in Development · RELAY THORACIC STENT-GRAFT WITH PLUS DELIVERY SYSTEM · RENASYS GO v2 HOME · Repatha · Rotarex · S · SPY-PHI SYSTEM · STRATAFIX · Santyl · Senza · Serrantor · Shockwave IVL System with the Shockwave C2 Coronary IVL Catheter · Sublime 014 Rx PTA Balloon Dilatation Catheter · TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · TREO ABDOMINAL STENT-GRAFT SYSTEM · Torus Stent Graft System · VENASEAL · VENOVO · VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with Heparin Bioactive Surface · VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with PROPATEN Bioactive Surface · VIABAHN VBX Balloon Expandable Endoprosthesis · Valiant Captivia · Varithena Administration Pack · Vascular Lithotripsy · XARELTO · XENOSURE BIOLOGIC PATCH · ZENITH ALPHA · ZENITH SPIRAL-Z · Zilver PTX
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 (45%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for surgery in TX.
Equivalent to $6,577 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Surgerists within 10 mi
527
Per 100K population
11.1
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE MEDICAL CENTER
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. Charlton-Ouw is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 13% in TX), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 7% 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. Charlton-Ouw experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Charlton-Ouw performed 90 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Charlton-Ouw receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Charlton-Ouw received a total of $39,131 from 59 companies across 358 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. Charlton-Ouw's costs compare to other surgerists in Houston?
Dr. Charlton-Ouw's average Medicare payment per service is $72. 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. Charlton-Ouw) 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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