Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Robert Salazar, MD
Pulmonary Disease · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
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. Salazar 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. Salazar
Dr. Robert Salazar is a pulmonary disease specialist in Houston, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Salazar performed 10,700 Medicare services across 2,110 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Salazar received a total of $23,922 from 66 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 923 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pulmonary disease. 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. Salazar 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 1% volume in TX
$23,922 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗10,700
Medicare services
Top 1% in TX for pulmonary disease
2,110
Unique beneficiaries
$29
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~563 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allergy immunotherapy preparation A professional service involving the preparation and administration of one or more antigens. |
3,740 | $12 | $41 |
| Allergy skin test A diagnostic test performed to identify specific allergies by applying or introducing allergenic extracts to the body. The procedure measures the patient's immune response to various potential allergens. |
2,460 | $3 | $18 |
| 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. |
1,207 | $89 | $125 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
425 | $1 | $10 |
| Nitric oxide gas level test A test that measures the level of nitric oxide gas in the body. |
349 | $15 | $40 |
| Lung volume test using sensors A test that measures the amount of air in the lungs using sensors. |
338 | $43 | $229 |
| Pulmonary gas exchange test A test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases. |
306 | $44 | $157 |
| 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. |
254 | $65 | $125 |
| Spirometry test before and after medication A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed of your breathing before and after taking a medication. |
220 | $32 | $171 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
162 | $98 | $184 |
| Critical care, first 30-74 min Emergency medical care for a critically ill or injured patient lasting between 30 and 74 minutes. This service involves direct patient care and medical decision making to stabilize the patient. |
150 | $166 | $416 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
129 | $11 | $30 |
| Expiratory airflow and volume test A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed at which you can breathe it out. It evaluates lung function by assessing expiratory airflow and volume. |
119 | $22 | $102 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
119 | $136 | $199 |
| Inhalation treatment for airway obstruction or sputum production A treatment involving the inhalation of medication to help clear airway obstructions or reduce sputum production. |
105 | $7 | $42 |
| Albuterol inhalation solution, 1 mg A unit dose of FDA-approved albuterol solution administered via durable medical equipment for inhalation. |
103 | $0 | $1 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
97 | $24 | $25 |
| Flu vaccine, quadrivalent A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus to help prevent seasonal influenza infection. |
95 | $59 | $60 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
61 | $139 | $287 |
| Home sleep test with portable monitor An unattended sleep study performed at home using a portable monitor that records breathing, heart rate, and oxygen levels. |
55 | $73 | $885 |
| Exercise-induced lung stress test A test performed to evaluate how the lungs function during physical exertion. It helps identify breathing difficulties or lung conditions that occur specifically when exercising. |
50 | $26 | $384 |
| 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. |
45 | $117 | $215 |
| Home health plan of care re-certification A physician reviews the patient's status and contacts the home health agency to re-certify the plan of care without the patient being present. |
36 | $34 | $58 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
24 | $43 | $75 |
| Bronchial irrigation and suction for cell collection This procedure uses an endoscope to flush and suction the lung airways in order to collect cells for testing. |
14 | $38 | $776 |
| Sleep study in sleep lab (age 6+) An overnight test conducted in a sleep laboratory to monitor sleep patterns and bodily functions in patients aged 6 years or older. |
13 | $128 | $790 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 12 | $177 | $291 |
| 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. |
12 | $46 | $86 |
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 ↗$23,922
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,417/year across 7 years
Top 10% in TX for pulmonary disease
66
Companies
923
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
$22,234 (92.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$938 (3.9%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$750 (3.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$3,734
2023
$3,633
2022
$3,420
2021
$3,738
2020
$1,588
2019
$3,736
2018
$4,073
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$2,620
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$2,157
Electromed, Inc.
$1,974
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$1,909
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,483
Inari Medical, Inc.
$1,246
Penumbra, Inc.
$1,224
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$965
Hill-Rom Services, Inc
$875
ABIOMED
$769
Grifols USA, LLC
$760
Itamar Medical Inc
$750
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$669
Insmed, Inc.
$509
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$503
Genentech USA, Inc.
$498
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$440
GENZYME CORPORATION
$401
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$282
Allergan Inc.
$260
Harmony Biosciences LLC
$243
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$238
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$230
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$218
Amgen Inc.
$176
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$171
United Therapeutics Corporation
$162
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$148
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$147
Pulmonx Corporation
$145
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$144
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$136
Relypsa, Inc.
$122
Shire North American Group Inc
$121
Medtronic, Inc.
$96
Shionogi Inc
$93
OptiNose US, Inc.
$72
Inogen, Inc.
$70
Mallinckrodt LLC
$67
Circassia Pharmaceuticals Inc
$66
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$63
HARMONY BIOSCIENCES LLC
$57
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$55
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$49
Eisai Inc.
$45
Philips North America LLC
$45
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$44
Optinose US, Inc.
$40
Advanced Respiratory, Inc
$36
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$33
Resmed Corp
$32
Harmony Biosciences Llc
$29
PFIZER INC.
$28
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$21
Nabriva Therapeutics, plc
$21
Boston Scientific Corporation
$20
ADVANCED RESPIRATORY, INC
$18
Circassia Inc.
$18
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$18
Melinta Therapeutics, LLC
$17
Ambu Inc.
$15
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$15
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Abbott Laboratories
$12
Seqirus USA Inc
$11
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$8
Top 3 companies account for 28.2% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(2383) SleepUndivided · (7999) SRC Und · (8685) OEM Other · (8874) inCourage · (9520) IGT Devices Und · (AK6) Vest Therapy · ABRYSVO · ACTHAR · AIR 11 · AIRSUPRA · ANORO · ANORO ELLIPTA · AREXVY · AVYCAZ · Adempas · AirDuo Digihaler · Arikayce · Astral · BEVYXXA · BREO · BREO ELLIPTA · BREZTRI · BROVANA · Baxdela · CHARTIS CATHETER · COBALT DR MRI SURESCAN · CT THROMBECTOMY SYSTEM KIT · ClosureFast · CoreValve Evolut · DUAKLIR PRESSAIR · DUPIXENT · DUPIXENT DUPILUMAB INJECTION · Dayvigo · ELIQUIS · Esbriet · FARXIGA · FASENRA · Fetroja · Flexitouch Plus · Fluad · GLASSIA · General - Structural Heart · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Dev · IN.PACT Admiral · INSPIRE · Impella · Indigo · Indigo System · InogenOne · Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation System · LONHALA MAGNAIR · LifeVest · NIOX · NIOX VERO · NUCALA · NUZYRA · OFEV · OPSUMIT MACITENTAN · ORENITRAM · Prolastin-C · Prolastin-C Liquid · QUVIVIQ · ROTABLATOR · Respiratoriy Care Undiv · SMARTVEST · SPIRIVA RESPIMAT · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · SUNOSI · SYMBICORT · Sunosi · TAVNEOS · TEZSPIRE · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TUDORZA PRESSAIR · TURBOHAWK · TYVASO · The Vest System Model 105 Home Care · Trilogy 100 · UPTRAVI · Utibron · Veltassa · VenaSeal · WAKIX · Wakix · WatchPATONE · XARELTO · XYREM · XYWAV · Xenleta · Xhance · Xyrem · YUPELRI · Yupelri · ZERBAXA · inCourage
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 (93%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for pulmonary disease in TX.
Equivalent to $224 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Pulmonary diseases within 10 mi
122
Per 100K population
2.6
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HOUSTON METHODIST WEST HOSPITAL
4.5 mi
4.5 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. Salazar is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 10% 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. Salazar experienced with allergy immunotherapy preparation?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Salazar performed 3,740 allergy immunotherapy preparation 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. Salazar receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Salazar received a total of $23,922 from 66 companies across 923 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. Salazar's costs compare to other pulmonary diseases in Houston?
Dr. Salazar's average Medicare payment per service is $29. 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. Salazar) 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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