Dr. Claudia Mercado, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Mercado
Dr. Claudia Mercado is a family medicine specialist in Laredo, TX, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Mercado performed 2,302 Medicare services across 842 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Mercado received a total of $2,558 from 37 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 138 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family 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. Mercado 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
574 | $75 | $330 |
| Chronic care management, additional 30 minutes This service covers an extra 30 minutes of care management provided by a healthcare professional for patients with two or more chronic conditions. It is billed per calendar month in addition to the standard chronic care management time. |
550 | $1 | $2 |
| Chronic care management, first 30 minutes This service covers the initial 30 minutes of care coordination for patients with two or more chronic conditions. It is provided personally by a healthcare professional each calendar month. |
550 | $60 | $150 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
91 | $124 | $292 |
| 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. |
80 | $57 | $255 |
| 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. |
76 | $58 | $150 |
| Influenza virus detection test A laboratory test that uses an immunoassay technique to detect the presence of the influenza virus through direct visual observation. |
54 | $16 | $60 |
| Home health plan of care re-certification A physician reviews the patient's status and contacts the home health agency to re-certify the plan of care without the patient being present. |
48 | $31 | $98 |
| Annual depression screening | 43 | $18 | $52 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
39 | $30 | $45 |
| 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. |
38 | $72 | $195 |
| Strep A rapid test A rapid test to detect Group A Streptococcus bacteria using an immunoassay method with direct visual observation. |
32 | $16 | $60 |
| Home health agency supervision, complex multidisciplinary care Supervision by a physician or allowed practitioner for a patient receiving Medicare-covered services from a participating home health agency. This involves complex and multidisciplinary care modalities, with the patient not present during the supervision. |
31 | $77 | $172 |
| SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay test A laboratory test using immunoassay techniques to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. |
27 | $35 | $69 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
26 | $8 | $60 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
17 | $2 | $38 |
| 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. |
13 | $8 | $98 |
| Assessment of emotional or behavioral problems An evaluation to identify and understand emotional or behavioral issues. This process involves reviewing symptoms and behaviors to determine the nature of the concerns. |
13 | $2 | $26 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2023 ↗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 (2023)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (82%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
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 2023 |
| 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. Mercado is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 11% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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
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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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