Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Carlos Cigarroa, MD
Internal Medicine · Laredo, 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. Cigarroa 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. Cigarroa
Dr. Carlos Cigarroa is an internal medicine specialist in Laredo, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cigarroa performed 7,397 Medicare services across 4,226 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cigarroa received a total of $6,378 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 256 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in internal 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. Cigarroa 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 4% volume in TX
$6,378 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗7,397
Medicare services
Top 4% in TX for internal medicine
4,226
Unique beneficiaries
$45
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~389 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. |
2,060 | $80 | $140 |
| EKG interpretation and report A standard electrocardiogram test that records the heart's electrical activity using at least 12 leads. The service includes a professional interpretation of the results and a written report. |
1,461 | $5 | $30 |
| Routine 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) A test that records the electrical activity of the heart using at least 12 leads to produce a tracing. |
1,405 | $4 | $30 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
360 | $71 | $187 |
| 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. |
299 | $86 | $205 |
| Pacemaker programming, dual lead system Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings. |
257 | $25 | $65 |
| 2-day continuous ECG with professional review A two-day continuous electrocardiogram recording that includes a review by a healthcare professional. |
157 | $13 | $350 |
| 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. |
157 | $57 | $97 |
| 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. |
148 | $160 | $327 |
| 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. |
129 | $75 | $120 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram, with physician review of the results. |
122 | $10 | $48 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A test that monitors the heart's electrical activity while the patient exercises or receives medication to increase heart rate. |
118 | $21 | $100 |
| Programming of dual lead implantable defibrillator system Adjustment and testing of the settings for an implanted heart device with two leads to ensure proper function. |
89 | $32 | $78 |
| Technetium Tc-99m sestamibi diagnostic injection A diagnostic injection of technetium Tc-99m sestamibi used for imaging studies. |
78 | $56 | $185 |
| Radiologist review of arm or leg vein image A radiologist reviews an image of a vein in one arm or leg. |
64 | $37 | $250 |
| Injection, dipyridamole, per 10 mg | 64 | $3 | $10 |
| Pacemaker system evaluation Assessment of a pacemaker device, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless systems. |
53 | $21 | $45 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while an electrocardiogram is monitored under physician supervision. |
46 | $16 | $48 |
| Cardiac catheterization | 40 | $198 | $500 |
| 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. |
39 | $373 | $2,198 |
| External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm. |
31 | $19 | $40 |
| Continuous external EKG monitoring, 48 hours to 7 days This procedure involves recording the heart's electrical activity continuously using an external device for a period exceeding 48 hours but not more than 7 days. |
30 | $8 | $30 |
| Continuous EKG monitoring review, 48-7 days Review and interpretation of continuous external EKG recordings lasting more than 48 hours up to 7 days. |
30 | $17 | $40 |
| Continuous external EKG monitoring, 8-15 days This procedure involves recording heart rhythm continuously using an external EKG device over a period of 8 to 15 days. |
30 | $9 | $30 |
| 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. |
26 | $6 | $60 |
| Pacemaker insertion with heart chamber electrodes A surgical procedure to implant a pacemaker device and place electrodes into the upper and lower chambers of the heart to regulate heart rhythm. |
20 | $369 | $1,501 |
| Hospital discharge day management, 30 minutes or less This service covers the final day of hospital care when the patient is being discharged. It includes coordination of care and instructions for the patient within a time frame of 30 minutes or less. |
20 | $60 | $115 |
| Office visit for established patient An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present. |
19 | $14 | $25 |
| Injection, furosemide, up to 20 mg | 17 | $0 | $20 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
14 | $16 | $117 |
| 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. |
14 | $58 | $120 |
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.
11.6% high complexity
8.2% medium
80.2% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$6,378
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $911/year across 7 years
Top 13% in TX for internal medicine
23
Companies
256
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
$6,378 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$795
2023
$637
2022
$670
2021
$1,283
2020
$763
2019
$577
2018
$1,652
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$1,787
Abbott Laboratories
$1,559
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$704
Medtronic, Inc.
$337
ABIOMED
$334
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$224
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$217
Amgen Inc.
$200
ATRICURE, INC.
$199
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$149
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$136
PFIZER INC.
$97
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$89
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$87
SCPHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$56
Cook Medical LLC
$40
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$39
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$29
Shockwave Medical, Inc
$25
Itamar Medical Inc
$22
Lilly USA, LLC
$18
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$16
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 63.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADVISA DR MRI SURESCAN · ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM · ATRICURE CRYOICE CRYOSPHERE CRYOABLATION SYSTEM · ATTESTA SR MRI SURESCAN · Advisa · Amplia MRI · Attain · Azure · CAMZYOS · CARDIOMEMS · CHANTIX · COMPIA MRI QUAD CRT-D SURESCAN · CareLink · Cobalt · Compia MRI · Cook Medical Lead Management - Lead Extraction · DRAGONFLY OPSTAR · Dragonfly OCT · ELIQUIS · ENSITE · ENTRESTO · Evera · FARXIGA · FUROSCIX · Hi-Torque Advance guide wire · Hi-Torque Command guide wire · Hi-Torque Floppy guide wire · Impella · Inpefa · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · LEQVIO · LifeVest · MICRA · MINI TREK · MOUNJARO · Micra · Mini Trek catheters · NC TREK coronary catheters · NEXLETOL · OPTIS · PERCEPTA QUAD CRT-P MRI SURESCAN · PRESSUREWIRE · Repatha · Resolute · Reveal LINQ · TYRX · ULTREON · VERQUVO · Vascepa · Vascular Lithotripsy · WatchPATONE · XARELTO · XIENCE ALPINE · XIENCE SIERRA · XIENCE SKYPOINT · Xience Sierra Coronary Stent · Xience Sierra Coronary Stent System · Xience V coronary stent system
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.
Equivalent to $86 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
31
Per 100K population
11.6
County median income
$62,506
Nearest hospital
DOCTORS HOSPITAL OF LAREDO
0.0 mi
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. Cigarroa is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 4% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 13% 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. Cigarroa experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cigarroa performed 2,060 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. Cigarroa receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Cigarroa received a total of $6,378 from 23 companies across 256 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. Cigarroa's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in Laredo?
Dr. Cigarroa's average Medicare payment per service is $45. 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. Cigarroa) 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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