Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Roberto Alvarez, M.D.
Legal Medicine · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Alvarez 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. Alvarez
Dr. Roberto Alvarez is a legal medicine specialist in Houston, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Alvarez performed 1,712 Medicare services across 1,425 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Alvarez received a total of $6,673 from 46 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 397 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in legal medicine. 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. Alvarez 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 25% volume in TX
$6,673 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,712
Medicare services
Top 25% in TX for legal medicine
1,425
Unique beneficiaries
$48
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~90 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. |
242 | $94 | $292 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
229 | $10 | $31 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
185 | $13 | $40 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
139 | $131 | $298 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
135 | $8 | $20 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
116 | $16 | $50 |
| 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. |
84 | $67 | $206 |
| Advance care planning consultation, first 30 min A session focused on discussing and documenting future healthcare preferences and goals. This service covers the initial 30 minutes of the planning discussion. |
68 | $80 | $188 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
59 | $10 | $25 |
| Annual alcohol misuse screening, 5 to 15 minutes | 55 | $19 | $43 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
52 | $19 | $40 |
| Annual depression screening | 49 | $19 | $43 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
36 | $31 | $50 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
35 | $72 | $122 |
| Urine microalbumin test (kidney screening) A laboratory test that measures the amount of microalbumin, a small protein, in a urine sample. This test is used to detect early signs of kidney damage. |
26 | $6 | $12 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
26 | $5 | $11 |
| 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. |
23 | $10 | $32 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) | 21 | $18 | $40 |
| Annual wellness visit, initial visit A yearly appointment to review your health and create a personalized prevention plan. This initial visit focuses on preventive care and health assessment. |
20 | $167 | $376 |
| Respiratory virus detection test A laboratory test using immunoassay techniques to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and influenza viruses. |
19 | $48 | $131 |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) An intramuscular injection of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It is used to protect against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. |
18 | $281 | $450 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
18 | $46 | $128 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
17 | $31 | $50 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
15 | $29 | $60 |
| Initial preventive physical examination, new Medicare beneficiary A comprehensive preventive health visit for new Medicare beneficiaries during their first 12 months of enrollment. The service is conducted as a face-to-face visit and is limited to preventive care. |
14 | $155 | $377 |
| Transitional care management services, moderate complexity Services provided to coordinate care during the transition from an inpatient or other facility setting back to the community. This includes follow-up and management of a health problem of at least moderate complexity. |
11 | $165 | $467 |
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 ↗$6,673
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $953/year across 7 years
Top 10% in TX for legal medicine
46
Companies
397
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
$6,673 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$974
2023
$1,377
2022
$1,387
2021
$1,041
2020
$852
2019
$452
2018
$591
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novo Nordisk Inc
$1,140
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$721
AbbVie Inc.
$509
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$366
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$356
PFIZER INC.
$354
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$330
Lilly USA, LLC
$328
ABBVIE INC.
$319
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$181
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$179
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$148
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$142
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$128
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$123
Corium, LLC
$119
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$116
Amgen Inc.
$99
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$91
Abbott Laboratories
$88
Eisai Inc.
$85
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$65
Allergan, Inc.
$58
Dexcom, Inc.
$57
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$55
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$52
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$47
Shire North American Group Inc
$40
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$36
Lupin Inc.
$35
Nevro Corp.
$33
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$32
Allergan Inc.
$25
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$23
Ethicon US, LLC
$23
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$20
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$19
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$18
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$16
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$15
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$14
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$13
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$13
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$12
PFIZER PHARMACEUTICALS LLC
$11
Top 3 companies account for 35.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ABRYSVO · AIRSUPRA · AREXVY · AZSTARYS · Aimovig · Azstarys · BASAGLAR · BREZTRI · BREZTRI AEROSPHERE · CHANTIX · COLOGUARD DNA CAPTURE REAGENTS · COMIRNATY · DUZALLO · Dayvigo · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · Edarbi · Edarbyclor · FARXIGA · FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · GARDASIL 9 · Heplisav-B · INSPIRE · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · Kerendia · LINX Reflux Management System · LINZESS · LYRICA · MOUNJARO · MYDAYIS · MYRBETRIQ · NEXLETOL · NOCDURNA · NURTEC ODT · NUZYRA · OTREXUP · Otezla · Otovel · Ozempic · PNEUMOVAX 23 · PREVNAR - 13 · PREVNAR 13 · PREVNAR 20 · PROCLAIM · QELBREE · QULIPTA · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SOLOSEC · SUNOSI · SUPRAX · SYMBICORT · Saxenda · Senza · TOVIAZ · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TRULICITY · TRUMENBA · Tirosint · UBRELVY · UNITHROID · VRAYLAR · VYVANSE · Vascepa · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · XYOSTED · Xyrem · Yupelri
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. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for legal medicine in TX.
Equivalent to $390 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Legal medicines within 10 mi
11
Per 100K population
0.2
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
LONE STAR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CYPRESS
5.9 mi
5.9 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. Alvarez is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 25% 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. Alvarez experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Alvarez performed 242 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. Alvarez receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Alvarez received a total of $6,673 from 46 companies across 397 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. Alvarez's costs compare to other legal medicines in Houston?
Dr. Alvarez's average Medicare payment per service is $48. 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. Alvarez) 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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