Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Weston Hickey, MD
Cardiovascular Disease · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Cardiac & Remote
— Practice combining cardiac and remote services
Speaking/Promotional
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. Hickey 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. Hickey
Dr. Weston Hickey is a cardiovascular disease specialist in Houston, TX, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hickey performed 9,290 Medicare services across 5,356 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hickey received a total of $85,090 from 51 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1186 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cardiovascular disease. 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. Hickey 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.
✓ 17 years in practice
▲ Top 4% volume in TX
$85,090 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗9,290
Medicare services
Top 4% in TX for cardiovascular disease
5,356
Unique beneficiaries
$171
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~546 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. |
2,053 | $95 | $400 |
| Regadenoson injection (Lexiscan) for heart stress test An injection of regadenoson, a medication used to stress the heart during diagnostic testing. |
1,384 | $43 | $100 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
673 | $152 | $1,300 |
| Remote monitoring of implantable heart rhythm device Evaluation of data transmitted remotely from an implantable cardiovascular monitor, such as a loop recorder or subcutaneous cardiac rhythm monitor, over a period up to 30 days. |
589 | $28 | $145 |
| Remote cardiac rhythm monitor evaluation, up to 30 days Review and analysis of data from a remote cardiac rhythm monitoring system over a period of up to 30 days. |
580 | $20 | $125 |
| 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. |
555 | $64 | $145 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
512 | $11 | $90 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram under physician supervision and review. |
408 | $56 | $345 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
346 | $152 | $650 |
| Nuclear stress test with CT scan A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow in the heart muscle at rest and during stress, performed alongside a concurrent CT scan. |
314 | $1,972 | $8,000 |
| Rubidium rb-82, diagnostic, per study dose, up to 60 millicuries | 314 | $644 | $824 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
176 | $105 | $270 |
| 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. |
169 | $121 | $525 |
| Remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days Remote evaluation of a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the last check. |
98 | $17 | $125 |
| Nuclear stress test of heart muscle A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow to the heart muscle at rest and during stress using a special camera. |
92 | $352 | $2,925 |
| Technetium Tc-99m sestamibi diagnostic injection A diagnostic injection of technetium Tc-99m sestamibi used for imaging studies. |
91 | $64 | $81 |
| 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. |
84 | $97 | $190 |
| 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. |
76 | $145 | $565 |
| Remote pacemaker monitoring, 90 days Remote assessment of a pacemaker system, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless devices, performed up to 90 days apart. |
67 | $24 | $125 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
66 | $10 | $50 |
| 30-day continuous ECG with patient-triggered event transmission and review This procedure involves continuous electrocardiogram monitoring for up to 30 days, including the transmission of patient-triggered events. A healthcare professional reviews the data and provides a report. |
52 | $687 | $2,200 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone. |
52 | $101 | $500 |
| Continuous ECG monitoring, up to 30 days Continuous heart rhythm monitoring for up to 30 days, including professional review and reporting of the results. |
51 | $21 | $85 |
| Cardiac catheterization | 46 | $206 | $2,500 |
| Remote monitoring of implantable heart device, up to 30 days Remote evaluation of an implanted heart or blood vessel monitoring system over a period of up to 30 days. |
44 | $17 | $145 |
| 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. |
42 | $140 | $400 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in the arm or leg. The test uses sound waves to check blood flow and may include compression and other maneuvers. |
40 | $148 | $600 |
| Continuous external EKG monitoring, 48 hours to 7 days This procedure involves recording, analyzing, and interpreting a continuous external electrocardiogram (EKG) over a period of more than 48 hours up to 7 days. |
35 | $207 | $900 |
| Transesophageal echocardiogram An ultrasound of the heart performed using a probe inserted into the esophagus to obtain detailed images of heart structures and function. |
32 | $86 | $350 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
32 | $2 | $100 |
| Remote evaluation of implantable defibrillator system Remote assessment of a single, dual, or multiple lead implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the previous evaluation. |
31 | $23 | $205 |
| Follow-up ultrasound of heart blood flow, valves and chambers An ultrasound exam that follows up on the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. It uses sound waves to create images of the heart's structure and function. |
28 | $6 | $157 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the blood vessels in the legs or any surgical grafts present. |
27 | $189 | $703 |
| External shock to heart to regulate heart beat A procedure that delivers an electric shock to the heart from outside the body to restore a normal heart rhythm. |
25 | $75 | $571 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 21 | $164 | $690 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
21 | $73 | $400 |
| Insertion of implantable heart rhythm monitor A small device is placed under the skin to continuously record the heart's electrical activity. This helps detect irregular heart rhythms that may not appear during a standard office visit. |
19 | $3,580 | $15,900 |
| Coronary stent placement A procedure to insert a stent into a coronary artery or its branch to keep it open, using balloon dilation during the process. |
17 | $470 | $3,300 |
| Pacemaker programming, dual lead system Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings. |
15 | $56 | $225 |
| Intravascular ultrasound of heart vessel, initial An ultrasound procedure used to evaluate a blood vessel within the heart during a diagnostic or treatment procedure. |
13 | $59 | $250 |
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.
10.5% high complexity
29.9% medium
59.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$85,090
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $12,156/year across 7 years
Top 7% in TX for cardiovascular disease
51
Companies
1,186
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.
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$65,998 (77.6%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$19,092 (22.4%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$9,240
2023
$3,982
2022
$33,741
2021
$22,390
2020
$7,888
2019
$4,697
2018
$3,152
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$59,881
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$6,761
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$2,346
Abbott Laboratories
$2,122
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,639
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$1,599
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$1,014
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$931
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$886
Boston Scientific Corporation
$844
Amgen Inc.
$817
PFIZER INC.
$703
Novo Nordisk Inc
$498
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$464
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$455
Lundbeck LLC
$413
HeartFlow, Inc.
$391
BIOTRONIK INC.
$332
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$313
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$302
Watermark Medical, Inc.
$279
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$269
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$245
Medtronic, Inc.
$179
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$147
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$133
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$126
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$110
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$100
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$96
Althera Pharmaceuticals LLC
$94
Lilly USA, LLC
$83
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$60
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$50
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$40
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$40
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$36
HEARTFLOW, INC.
$36
Preventice Services, LLC
$34
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$27
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$24
ARALEZ PHARMACEUTICALS US INC.
$23
AGEPHA Pharma FZ LLC
$21
CVRx, Inc.
$19
Medicure Pharma Inc.
$19
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$17
Avinger Inc.
$17
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$15
Lupin Inc.
$14
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Allergan Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 81.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ANTARA · Adempas · Advisa · Arcalyst · Azure · BRILINTA · BYSTOLIC · Barostim Neo System · BodyGuardian · CAMZYOS · CARDIOMEMS · CHANTIX · CONFIRM RX · CareLink Express · ClosureFast · Confirm Rx · CoreValve Evolut · Corlanor · EDARBI · EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE (THV) · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · EVKEEZA · Edarbi · Edarbyclor · Ensite Cardiac Mapping System · FARXIGA · FFRct · FLEXITOUCH · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · Flexitouch Plus · General - Therapies · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Dev · Horizant · INSPIRE · JARDIANCE · KENGREAL · Kerendia · LATITUDE Communicator Power Supply · LEQVIO · LEXISCAN · LINQ II · LIVALO · LODOCO · LUX-DX · LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor · LifeVest · Livalo · MERLIN@HOME · MOUNJARO · MRI Ready Leads · MULTAQ · MYCARELINK · Merlin Connectivity and Remote · Mitra Clip system · NEXLETOL · NEXLIZET · NORTHERA · OPSUMIT · OPSUMIT MACITENTAN · OPTIMIZER · Optimizer · Ozempic · PANTHERIS · PK Papyrus · PRADAXA · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · RESONATE EL ICD VR · Repatha · Resolute · Reveal LINQ · Roszet · Rybelsus · SEEQ · SYNERGY · THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · TRULICITY · UPTRAVI · VERQUVO · VYNDAMAX · VYNDAQEL · Vascepa · WATCHMAN Access System · WATCHMAN FLX · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIENCE V · ZIO Patch · ZIO XT Patch · ZONTIVITY · ZYPITAMAG
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 →
The majority of payments (78%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in cardiovascular disease and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for cardiovascular disease in TX.
Equivalent to $916 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Cardiologists within 10 mi
383
Per 100K population
8.0
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK HOSPITAL
3.1 mi
3.1 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. Hickey is a cardiac & remote specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 4% in TX), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 7% of TX peers, with 17 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. Hickey experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hickey performed 2,053 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. Hickey receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hickey received a total of $85,090 from 51 companies across 1,186 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. Hickey's costs compare to other cardiologists in Houston?
Dr. Hickey's average Medicare payment per service is $171. 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. Hickey) 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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