Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Michel Kafrouni, M.D.

Gastroenterology · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
444 FM 1959 RD, Houston, TX 77034
2814819400
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1073581773 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. Kafrouni 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. Kafrouni? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Kafrouni

Dr. Michel Kafrouni is a gastroenterology in Houston, TX, with 20 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kafrouni performed 2,211 Medicare services across 1,301 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kafrouni received a total of $3,112 from 24 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 137 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in gastroenterology. 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. Kafrouni 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 5% volume in TX$ $3,112 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
2,211
Medicare services
Top 5% in TX for gastroenterology
1,301
Unique beneficiaries
$83
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~111 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
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity793$65$146
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)276$101$217
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)237$63$148
Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy140$78$680
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity134$103$280
Chronic care management, additional 20 min/month108$39$152
Removal of polyps or growths of large bowel using an endoscope with mechanical snare87$213$1,067
Colonoscopy with biopsy67$97$847
New patient office visit (30-44 min)63$71$220
Chronic care management, first 20 min/month56$52$100
Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity53$40$80
New patient office visit (45-59 min)49$117$333
Initial hospital admission, high complexity36$143$411
Colorectal cancer screening; colonoscopy on individual at high risk32$181$778
Insertion of stomach tube using a flexible endoscope30$165$844
Diagnostic exam of large bowel using a flexible endoscope21$145$781
Study of esophagus to assess movement15$50$274
Diagnostic exam of esophagus, stomach, and/or upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope14$101$518
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 ↗
$3,112
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $445/year across 7 years
Bottom 49% in TX for gastroenterology
24
Companies
137
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
$3,028 (97.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$84 (2.7%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,034
2023
$1,007
2022
$544
2021
$46
2020
$25
2019
$144
2018
$313

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$740
ABBVIE INC.
$340
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$337
AbbVie, Inc.
$305
Celgene Corporation
$212
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$176
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$149
Ethicon US, LLC
$119
Evoke Pharma, Inc.
$82
PFIZER INC.
$79
Braintree Laboratories, Inc.
$68
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$66
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$65
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$64
Celltrion USA Inc.
$57
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
$54
GENZYME CORPORATION
$39
Ardelyx, Inc.
$39
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$32
Ambu Inc.
$25
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$19
AbbVie Inc.
$19
EVOKE PHARMA, INC.
$14
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$13
Top 3 companies account for 45.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
CREON · CYLTEZO · DIFICID · DUPIXENT · ENTYVIO · EOHILIA · GATTEX · GIMOTI · HUMIRA · Humira · IBSRELA · INTERSTIM · LINX Reflux Management System · LINZESS · MAVYRET · Mavyret · OCALIVA · REMICADE · RESMETIROM · REZDIFFRA · RINVOQ · SKYRIZI · STELARA · SUTAB · TRULANCE · Trulance · VEGZELMA · VIBERZI · VOQUEZNA · XELJANZ · XIFAXAN · YUFLYMA · ZEPOSIA
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 (97%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $141 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a gastroenterology in Houston?
Compare gastroenterologys in the Houston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Gastroenterologys within 10 mi
207
Per 100K population
4.4
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE SOUTHEAST
2.3 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. Kafrouni is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in TX), and low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 years of practice experience.

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. Kafrouni experienced with hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kafrouni performed 793 hospital follow-up visit, moderate 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. Kafrouni receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kafrouni received a total of $3,112 from 24 companies across 137 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. Kafrouni's costs compare to other gastroenterologys in Houston?
Dr. Kafrouni's average Medicare payment per service is $83. 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. Kafrouni) 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 →