Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Donald Simmons, MD
Family Medicine · Muenster, 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. Simmons 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. Simmons?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Simmons
Dr. Donald Simmons is a family medicine specialist in Muenster, TX, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Simmons performed 5,835 Medicare services across 2,278 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Simmons received a total of $5,518 from 36 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 318 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. Simmons 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 3% volume in TX
$5,518 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗5,835
Medicare services
Top 3% in TX for family medicine
2,278
Unique beneficiaries
$70
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~292 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complex chronic care management, first 60 minutes This service involves clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional to manage two or more chronic conditions over a calendar month. It covers the first 60 minutes of this coordinated care effort. |
1,953 | $92 | $180 |
| Additional chronic care management time, 60 minutes This service covers an additional 60 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional for managing two or more chronic conditions, billed per calendar month. |
1,840 | $50 | $120 |
| 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. |
382 | $57 | $164 |
| 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. |
326 | $43 | $112 |
| Transitional care management, high complexity Coordination of care for a patient transitioning from a short-term hospital stay or other facility to home or another care setting. This service addresses a high-complexity medical problem. |
207 | $197 | $349 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
181 | $0 | $4 |
| Nursing facility visit, low complexity A daily follow-up visit for an existing patient in a nursing facility involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit requires at least 15 minutes of time if time is used to determine the level of care. |
170 | $51 | $103 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
139 | $9 | $44 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
136 | $120 | $227 |
| Prolonged preventive service, first 30 minutes This code covers the first 30 minutes of direct patient contact time spent on preventive services that exceeds the typical duration of the primary procedure. It is billed in addition to the code for the primary preventive service. |
102 | $60 | $159 |
| Prolonged preventive service time, each additional 30 minutes This code covers additional time spent on direct patient contact for preventive services beyond the typical duration of the primary procedure. It is billed separately in 30-minute increments. |
100 | $60 | $159 |
| Annual wellness visit, initial visit A yearly appointment to review your health and create a personalized prevention plan. This initial visit focuses on preventive care and health assessment. |
63 | $154 | $240 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
53 | $7 | $45 |
| Emergency department visit, low level of medical decision making An emergency department visit for a patient requiring a low level of medical decision making. |
37 | $49 | $189 |
| Transitional care management services, moderate complexity Services provided to coordinate care during the transition from an inpatient or other facility setting back to the community. This includes follow-up and management of a health problem of at least moderate complexity. |
34 | $152 | $243 |
| Emergency department visit, moderate complexity An emergency department visit for an established or new patient involving a moderate level of medical decision making. |
33 | $92 | $346 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
31 | $3 | $16 |
| 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. |
19 | $92 | $237 |
| Annual depression screening | 18 | $17 | $35 |
| 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. |
11 | $32 | $152 |
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 ↗$5,518
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $788/year across 7 years
Top 11% in TX for family medicine
36
Companies
318
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
$5,441 (98.6%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$76 (1.4%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$201
2023
$580
2022
$983
2021
$1,299
2020
$840
2019
$856
2018
$758
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novo Nordisk Inc
$1,180
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$757
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$544
Lilly USA, LLC
$446
AbbVie Inc.
$353
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$300
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$295
Amgen Inc.
$221
PFIZER INC.
$182
ABBVIE INC.
$163
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$159
Abbott Laboratories
$139
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$115
Allergan, Inc.
$72
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$71
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$68
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$54
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$52
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$47
Dexcom, Inc.
$35
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$27
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$24
Organon LLC
$22
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$20
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$20
Coloplast Corp
$17
Circassia Pharmaceuticals Inc
$17
Ironshore Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$16
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$15
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$15
Zyla Life Sciences
$13
Shire North American Group Inc
$12
Horizon Pharma plc
$12
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$11
Allergan Inc.
$11
Genentech USA, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 45.0% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIMOVIG · ALTIS · Aimovig · BASAGLAR · BELSOMRA · BREZTRI · BYDUREON · CHANTIX · COLOGUARD · COLOGUARD DNA CAPTURE REAGENTS · COMIRNATY · Crysvita · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · FARXIGA · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · FreeStyle Libre 2 · GARDASIL 9 · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · Jornay PM 20mg capsules (Bottle of 100) · LYRICA · MOUNJARO · MYRBETRIQ · NEXPLANON · NURTEC ODT · Otezla · Ozempic · PAXLOVID · PENNSAID · PREVNAR 13 · QELBREE · QULIPTA · RYBELSUS · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SIVEXTRO · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SPRAVATO · SYMBICORT · Saxenda · TOUJEO · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TRULICITY · TRUMENBA · TUDORZA PRESSAIR · UBRELVY · VOQUEZNA · VRAYLAR · VYVANSE · Vascepa · Victoza · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · XYOSTED · Xofluza · ZORVOLEX
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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $95 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
21
Per 100K population
49.4
County median income
$72,472
Nearest hospital
MUENSTER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
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. Simmons is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 11% of TX peers, with 20 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. Simmons experienced with complex chronic care management, first 60 minutes?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Simmons performed 1,953 complex chronic care management, first 60 minutes 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. Simmons receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Simmons received a total of $5,518 from 36 companies across 318 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. Simmons's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Muenster?
Dr. Simmons's average Medicare payment per service is $70. 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. Simmons) 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
Specialty guide
Understanding Family Medicine
Common procedures, typical costs, and what industry payments mean in family medicine.
Same specialty & city
Family Medicine Physicians in Muenster
Browse family medicine physicians in Muenster ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Family Medicine Physicians in TX
Family medicine physicians ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Family Medicine Physicians in TX
Which TX family medicine physicians receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Novo Nordisk Inc Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Novo Nordisk Inc.
By company
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.
By company
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, 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