Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Christopher Busken, M.D.
Surgery · Live Oak, 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. Busken 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. Busken
Dr. Christopher Busken is a surgery specialist in Live Oak, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Busken performed 2,371 Medicare services across 1,366 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Busken received a total of $15,414 from 41 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 364 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. 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. Busken 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 3% volume in TX
$15,414 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,371
Medicare services
Top 3% in TX for surgery
1,366
Unique beneficiaries
$114
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~125 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 (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. |
459 | $64 | $210 |
| Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) A contrast agent containing 300-399 mg/ml of iodine used to enhance imaging studies. It is administered per milliliter to improve the visibility of internal structures. |
239 | $0 | $2 |
| 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. |
191 | $98 | $302 |
| Additional blood vessel ultrasound evaluation An ultrasound exam of a blood vessel that includes a radiologist's review. This code applies to each additional vessel evaluated beyond the initial one. |
160 | $53 | $219 |
| 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. |
148 | $134 | $616 |
| Complete ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts A complete ultrasound exam of the aorta, vena cava, groin vessels, or bypass grafts. This imaging test uses sound waves to visualize these blood vessels. |
147 | $125 | $415 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in one arm or leg using compression and other maneuvers to assess blood flow and check for blockages. |
115 | $90 | $379 |
| 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. |
98 | $132 | $554 |
| 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. |
96 | $171 | $783 |
| Ultrasound-guided injection into a single leg vein A chemical agent is injected into one incompetent vein in the leg while using ultrasound to guide the needle placement. |
88 | $986 | $2,847 |
| 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. |
76 | $10 | $65 |
| Ultrasound of blood vessel, initial vessel An ultrasound exam of a blood vessel that includes a radiologist's review of the initial vessel. |
65 | $67 | $1,119 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries A non-invasive imaging test that uses sound waves to examine the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It evaluates blood flow and checks for blockages or other vascular issues. |
61 | $90 | $441 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
51 | $41 | $127 |
| 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. |
47 | $129 | $466 |
| 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. |
43 | $86 | $312 |
| 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. |
38 | $53 | $206 |
| Insertion of tube into second-order vein branch A procedure involving the placement of a tube into a secondary branch of a vein. |
37 | $81 | $814 |
| Radiologist review of arm or leg vein image A radiologist reviews an image of a vein in one arm or leg. |
37 | $39 | $122 |
| Vein stent insertion with radiologist review A stent is placed in a vein to keep it open, with review by a radiologist. This is performed on the initial vein treated. |
33 | $208 | $3,512 |
| Additional vein stent insertion with radiologist review This procedure involves placing a stent in an additional vein and includes a radiologist's review of the placement. |
26 | $114 | $1,724 |
| Radiologist review of arm or leg artery image A radiologist reviews images of the arteries in the arm or leg. This process involves analyzing the visual data to assess the blood vessels. |
20 | $61 | $249 |
| 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. |
20 | $111 | $592 |
| Radiologist review of abdominal aorta image A radiologist reviews images of the abdominal aorta to evaluate the blood vessel. |
17 | $49 | $162 |
| Radiologist review of lower body vein image A radiologist reviews images of the major veins in the lower body to assess their structure and function. |
16 | $41 | $162 |
| Ultrasound guidance for blood vessel access Use of ultrasound imaging to help locate and access a blood vessel. This guidance assists healthcare providers in performing procedures such as inserting IV lines or drawing blood. |
16 | $19 | $78 |
| Complete ultrasound of abdomen and pelvis blood flow This procedure uses sound waves to create images of blood flow in the arteries and veins of the abdomen and pelvis. It evaluates the rate and direction of blood movement within these vessels. |
15 | $195 | $877 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 12 | $157 | $581 |
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.
8.7% high complexity
46.4% medium
44.9% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$15,414
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,202/year across 7 years
Top 19% in TX for surgery
41
Companies
364
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
$15,414 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,457
2023
$1,980
2022
$1,492
2021
$2,182
2020
$2,350
2019
$2,613
2018
$2,339
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$3,058
Inari Medical, Inc.
$1,506
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$1,274
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$1,140
Maquet Cardiovascular U.S. Sales, L.L.C.
$810
Medtronic, Inc.
$745
CVRx, Inc.
$735
Boston Scientific Corporation
$643
CeloNova BioSciences, Inc.
$597
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$574
Silk Road Medical, Inc.
$501
Cook Medical LLC
$480
Veryan Medical Incorporated
$462
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$435
Endologix LLC
$418
Penumbra, Inc.
$243
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$200
BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
$164
Getinge USA Sales, LLC
$144
ORGANOGENESIS INC.
$143
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$135
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$111
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$100
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$93
ASAHI INTECC USA, INC.
$93
Organogenesis Inc.
$69
Acist Medical Systems, Inc.
$67
Kerecis Limited
$63
Stryker Corporation
$62
Bolton Medical Inc
$53
Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
$51
Abbott Laboratories
$37
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$36
KCI USA, Inc.
$35
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$28
Aziyo Biologics, Inc.
$21
Philips North America LLC
$20
Davol Inc.
$20
Shockwave Medical, Inc
$19
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$17
PolyNovo North America LLC
$12
Top 3 companies account for 37.9% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(0889) Phoenix Guidewires · (4066) Tack Endo Sys ATK · (4067) Tack Endo Sys BTK · (4090) Peripherals · (5044) MCOT · (8874) inCourage · (9281) Turbo Elite · (9547) IGT Systems Und · (AZ7) Lasers · ABRE · ACTIV.A.C. · ANGIOJET · ASAHI Peripheral Guide Wire · AURYON LASER SYSTEM 100-120 VAC · Abre · Alto Abdominal Stent Graft System · AngioJet Ultra 5000A · AngioVac · Auryon Laser System 100-120 Vac · Barostim Neo System · BioMimics · BioMimics 3D Vascular Stent System · CASCADIA INTERBODY SYSTEM · COOK MEDICAL STENTS · COOK MEDICAL ZILVER PTX · COVERA · CVI Systems · Chocolate PTA Balloon · Cook Medical Angioplasty · Cook Medical Filters · Cook Medical Zilver PTX · Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System · Diamondback Peripheral · ECM Patch · ELUVIA · ENDOCROSS Device · ENHANCE Transcarotid Peripheral Access Kit · ENROUTE .014 Guidewire · ENROUTE Transcarotid Neuroprotection System · Endurant · EverFlex · FLEXITOUCH · FLIXENE · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · FUSION BIOLINE · Flexitouch Plus · FlowMet · FlowTriever · Fox Sv PTA catheter and Armada 14 percutaneous catheter and Viatrac 14 Plus peripheral catheter · Fusion Bioline Supported Vascular Grafts · GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION · GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION · GENERAL - VASCULAR INTERVENTION · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GORE EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Thoracic Branch Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · GORE VIABAHN VBX Balloon Expandable Endo · GRAFIX PL · General - Angioplasty · General - Ultrasound · General - Vascular Intervention · HAWKONE · HD-IVUS · HawkOne · IGT_D Peripheral · IGT_D Therapy · IN.PACT Admiral · Indigo System · Integra · JETSTREAM SC · Kerecis Omega3 SurgiClose · Kerecis Omega3 Wound · LUTONIX · MULTAQ · NITINOL · OMNIGRAFT · Optimizer Smart System · Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy System · Pouch · Proclaim IPG · Progel · Puraply · RELAY THORACIC STENT-GRAFT WITH PLUS DELIVERY SYSTEM · Relay Grafts · S · SHOCKWAVE IVL SYSTEM WITH THE SHOCKWAVE C2 CORONARY IVL CATHETER · Torus Stent Graft System · TrailBlazer · Trilogy 100 · TurboHawk · VENOUS WALLSTENT · VENOVO · VenaSeal · WALLSTENT · Wolverine Coronary Cutting Balloon · XARELTO · XXL · ZILVER PTX · ZILVER VENA · Zilver PTX
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 $650 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Surgerists within 10 mi
283
Per 100K population
13.9
County median income
$70,571
Nearest hospital
LAUREL RIDGE TREATMENT CENTER
5.9 mi
5.9 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. Busken is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 19% 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. Busken experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Busken performed 459 office visit, established patient (20-29 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. Busken receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Busken received a total of $15,414 from 41 companies across 364 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. Busken's costs compare to other surgerists in Live Oak?
Dr. Busken's average Medicare payment per service is $114. 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. Busken) 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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