Medicare Enrolled

Dr. William Symmans, M.D.

Cytopathology Physician · Houston, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
1515 HOLCOMBE BLVD, Houston, TX 77030
7137926161
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1669577367 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Symmans 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 →
Are you Dr. Symmans? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Symmans

Dr. William Symmans is a cytopathology physician in Houston, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Symmans performed 644 Medicare services across 427 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Symmans received a total of $13,614 from 5 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 19 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cytopathology physician. 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. Symmans 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 ▲ 644 Medicare services $13,614 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
644
Medicare services
Bottom 25% in TX for cytopathology physician
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
427
Unique beneficiaries
$36
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~34 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
Fine needle aspirate evaluation and report
A pathologist examines cells collected via a fine needle aspiration and provides a written interpretation and report of the findings.
 128 $53 $480
Tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity
A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This intermediate complexity procedure involves specialized techniques to identify abnormalities in the tissue.
 124 $28 $354
Fine needle aspirate evaluation
A laboratory examination of cells collected via fine needle aspiration to assess for abnormalities.
 79 $27 $428
Tissue staining for diagnosis, additional
An extra laboratory procedure to apply special stains to tissue slides for detailed examination.
 60 $22 $196
Manual microscopic genetic analysis of tumor
A laboratory test that uses a microscope to manually examine tumor tissue for genetic changes.
 52 $32 $349
Cell examination of specimen, concentration technique
A laboratory test that uses a concentration technique to examine cells from a specimen.
 48 $17 $299
Surgical pathology consultation on referred slides
A pathologist reviews and reports on tissue slides that were prepared at another facility. This service provides a second opinion or expert analysis of the existing samples.
 45 $64 $319
Tissue staining for diagnosis, initial
A laboratory test where special stains are applied to tissue slides to help examine the cells and identify specific characteristics.
 42 $27 $252
Moderately high complexity pathology tissue examination
A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This specific level of complexity involves a moderate to high degree of technical skill and interpretation.
 32 $65 $593
Pathology examination of specimen during surgery
A pathologist examines tissue removed during surgery to determine its nature. This analysis helps guide immediate surgical decisions.
 20 $28 $252
Genetic analysis of archival tissue
Testing stored tissue samples to identify genetic information. This procedure analyzes existing tissue specimens for genetic markers.
 14 $14 $153
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.
3.1% high complexity
0.0% medium
96.9% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2020 ↗
$13,614
Total received (2018-2020)
Avg $4,538/year across 3 years
Top 7% in TX for cytopathology physician
5
Companies
19
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$7,878 (57.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$5,642 (41.4%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$94 (0.7%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2020
$1,275
2019
$4,042
2018
$8,297

Payments by company (2020)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$7,878
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG
$3,422
PFIZER INC.
$2,220
Seattle Genetics, Inc.
$78
Novartis Pharma AG
$16
Top 3 companies account for 99.3% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADCETRIS · Kadcyla · LAP016 · TALZENNA
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 (58%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for cytopathology physician in TX.

Equivalent to $2,114 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a cytopathology physician in Houston?
Compare cytopathology physicians in the Houston area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse cytopathology physicians nearby

Geographic Context

Cytopathology physicians within 10 mi
49
Per 100K population
1.0
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
MEMORIAL HERMANN - TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER
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 2020
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. Symmans is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 7% 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. Symmans experienced with fine needle aspirate evaluation and report?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Symmans performed 128 fine needle aspirate evaluation and report 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. Symmans receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Symmans received a total of $13,614 from 5 companies across 19 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. Symmans's costs compare to other cytopathology physicians in Houston?
Dr. Symmans's average Medicare payment per service is $36. 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. Symmans) 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 →

Explore related providers

Same specialty & city
Cytopathology Physicians in Houston
Browse cytopathology physicians in Houston ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Cytopathology Physicians in TX
Cytopathology physicians ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Cytopathology Physicians in TX
Which TX cytopathology physicians receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation.
By company
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG.
By company
PFIZER INC. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from PFIZER INC.
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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →