Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Kriselda Alvarado, O.D.

Corneal and Contact Management Optometrist · McAllen, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
423 W NOLANA AVE, McAllen, TX 78504
9566313366
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1912961020 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. Alvarado 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. Alvarado? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Alvarado

Dr. Kriselda Alvarado is a corneal and contact management optometrist in McAllen, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Alvarado performed 249 Medicare services across 220 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Alvarado received a total of $8,100 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 125 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in corneal and contact management optometrist. 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. Alvarado 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 45% volume in TX$ $8,100 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
249
Medicare services
Top 45% in TX for corneal and contact management optometrist
220
Unique beneficiaries
$65
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~13 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient123$75$180
Eye exam, established patient, focused71$52$140
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient24$93$208
Optic nerve imaging (OCT scan)16$18$75
Visual field test, extended15$44$117
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.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$8,100
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,157/year across 7 years
Top 5% in TX for corneal and contact management optometrist
22
Companies
125
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
$6,714 (82.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$1,386 (17.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$305
2023
$3,152
2022
$675
2021
$1,089
2020
$712
2019
$1,545
2018
$622

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Alcon Vision LLC
$3,260
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$2,777
CooperVision Inc.
$500
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$210
Allergan, Inc.
$124
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$122
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$118
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$112
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$108
Oyster Point Pharma, Inc.
$107
RxSight Inc
$103
MacuLogix, Inc.
$103
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$98
Glaukos Corporation
$89
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
$59
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$52
Shire North American Group Inc
$41
OPTOS, INC.
$36
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
$26
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$22
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
$19
Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 80.7% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIR OPTIX · Acuvue · AdaptDx · Clariti Contact Lens · DAILIES · DAILIES TOTAL1 · Humphrey HFA · ISTENT TRABECULAR MICRO-BYPASS STENT SYSTEM · LIGHT ADJUSTABLE LENS (LAL) AND LIGHT DELIVERY DEVICE (LDD) · LOTEMAX SM · MIEBO · MiSight Contact Lens · Monaco · Multiple Brands Contact Lens · MyDay Contact Lens · None Specified · PROKERA · Precision 1 · RESTASIS MULTIDOSE · Rhopressa · TOTAL30 · TYRVAYA · TearCare SmartLid · Tecnis Symfony IOL · VYZULTA · XELPROS · XIIDRA
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 (83%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 5% for corneal and contact management optometrist in TX.

Equivalent to $3,253 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a corneal and contact management optometrist in McAllen?
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Geographic Context

Corneal and Contact Management Optometrists within 10 mi
4
Per 100K population
0.5
County median income
$52,281
Nearest hospital
SOUTH TEXAS HEALTH SYSTEM
3.4 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/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. Alvarado is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 5%), with 19 years of practice experience.

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. Alvarado experienced with comprehensive eye exam, established patient?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Alvarado performed 123 comprehensive eye exam, established patient 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. Alvarado receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Alvarado received a total of $8,100 from 22 companies across 125 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. Alvarado's costs compare to other corneal and contact management optometrists in McAllen?
Dr. Alvarado's average Medicare payment per service is $65. 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. Alvarado) 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 →
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 →