Dr. Robert Sickler, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Sickler
Dr. Robert Sickler is a pain medicine (physical medicine & rehabilitation) physician in Houston, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sickler performed 5,051 Medicare services across 2,196 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sickler received a total of $45,934 from 31 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 195 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain medicine (physical medicine & rehabilitation) physician. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Sickler 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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) | 1,847 | $95 | $225 |
| Assessment of emotional or behavioral problems | 1,254 | $4 | $13 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) | 325 | $0 | $3 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views | 251 | $9 | $275 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 136 | $131 | $350 |
| Administration of psychological or neuropsychological test, first 30 minutes | 135 | $23 | $100 |
| Injection of anesthetic and/or steroid drug into sacral spine nerve root using imaging guidance, single level | 125 | $104 | $1,233 |
| Administration and interpretation of patient-focused health risk assessment | 105 | $2 | $38 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 86 | $71 | $175 |
| Injection of trigger points, 3 or more muscles | 64 | $48 | $385 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views | 63 | $9 | $275 |
| Injection of lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance, single level | 60 | $104 | $1,689 |
| Injection of anesthetic and/or steroid drug into sacral spine nerve root using imaging guidance, each additional level | 59 | $50 | $713 |
| Injection of substance into lower spine canal using imaging guidance | 54 | $58 | $1,165 |
| Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement | 53 | $47 | $380 |
| Destruction of lower or sacral spinal facet joint nerves using imaging guidance, each additional facet joint | 51 | $50 | $861 |
| Injection of lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance, second level | 48 | $60 | $1,031 |
| Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into other nerve or branch | 44 | $25 | $689 |
| Destruction of peripheral nerve or branch | 42 | $51 | $1,120 |
| Destruction of lower or sacral spinal facet joint nerves using imaging guidance, single facet joint | 41 | $155 | $1,688 |
| Injection of substance into middle or upper spine canal using imaging guidance | 35 | $88 | $1,375 |
| Administration of psychological or neuropsychological test by technician, first 30 minutes | 34 | $26 | $77 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into joint between lower spine and hip bone using imaging guidance | 26 | $71 | $919 |
| Evaluation of psychological test, first hour | 26 | $99 | $235 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 80 mg | 26 | $9 | $85 |
| Aspiration and/or injection of fluid large joint using ultrasound guidance | 25 | $82 | $467 |
| Joint injection, major joint | 21 | $32 | $375 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement | 15 | $57 | $233 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (89%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in pain medicine (physical medicine & rehabilitation) physician and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for pain medicine (physical medicine & rehabilitation) physician in TX.
Geographic Context
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. Sickler is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 11% in TX), and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 3%), with 19 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. Sickler experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Does Dr. Sickler receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Sickler's costs compare to other pain medicine (physical medicine & rehabilitation) physicians in Houston?
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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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