Dr. Thomas Tanous, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Tanous
Dr. Thomas Tanous is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Houston, TX, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Tanous performed 5,937 Medicare services across 1,974 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Tanous received a total of $565,455 from 19 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 678 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic 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. Tanous 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint lubricant injection (TriVisc) An injection of hyaluronan or a derivative into a joint space. The dose specified is 1 milligram. |
1,275 | $7 | $50 |
| Hymovis intra-articular injection An injection of Hymovis, a hyaluronan derivative, administered directly into a joint space. |
1,152 | $14 | $52 |
| 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. |
394 | $67 | $233 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
362 | $54 | $249 |
| Hip X-ray, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hip joint using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
348 | $35 | $140 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
333 | $36 | $138 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
308 | $9 | $30 |
| 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. |
303 | $92 | $338 |
| Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min A therapy session using exercises to improve strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility. Each 15-minute unit is billed separately. |
260 | $18 | $96 |
| Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min | 213 | $15 | $88 |
| Group therapy session A therapeutic session conducted with multiple patients simultaneously. This code covers the provision of therapy services in a group setting. |
173 | $10 | $58 |
| Neuromuscular re-education therapy, per 15 min A therapy procedure designed to re-educate the functional connection between the brain, nerves, and muscles. It is billed in 15-minute increments. |
162 | $23 | $111 |
| Knee X-ray, 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint that captures three different angles to evaluate the bones and surrounding structures. |
139 | $30 | $121 |
| Functional activity therapy A therapy procedure that utilizes functional activities as part of the treatment process. |
117 | $26 | $124 |
| Computer-assisted surgery for muscle and bone procedure A surgical procedure involving muscles or bones that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning or execution. |
75 | $118 | $464 |
| 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. |
64 | $126 | $454 |
| 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. |
60 | $109 | $510 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
52 | $80 | $334 |
| Total hip replacement Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components. |
43 | $1,005 | $4,298 |
| Total knee replacement | 34 | $1,053 | $4,293 |
| X-ray of both hips, 3-4 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 3 to 4 views of both hip joints to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
25 | $42 | $161 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 12 | $143 | $645 |
| Knee joint replacement Surgical procedure to replace a knee joint with an artificial implant. |
11 | $942 | $3,672 |
| X-ray of both hips, minimum of 5 views An X-ray imaging test that captures at least five different views of both hip joints to evaluate bone structure and alignment. |
11 | $46 | $183 |
| Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 30 minutes | 11 | $81 | $269 |
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 (79%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 2% for orthopedic surgery in TX.
Geographic Context
4.1 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. Tanous is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in TX), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 2% of TX peers, with 18 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
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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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