Dr. Christopher Watson, PA
What this data tells you about Dr. Watson
Dr. Christopher Watson is a medical physician assistant in San Antonio, TX, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Watson performed 1,735 Medicare services across 598 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Watson received a total of $3,730 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 149 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in medical physician assistant. 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. Watson 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. |
680 | $81 | $367 |
| Drug test with direct observation A drug screening test performed under direct observation to ensure the sample is provided correctly. This method is used to verify the integrity of the specimen collection process. |
369 | $12 | $200 |
| 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. |
183 | $46 | $330 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
105 | $86 | $1,577 |
| Ultrasound guidance for needle placement Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
97 | $34 | $400 |
| Spinal drug pump reprogramming and refill A physician electronically adjusts the settings of a spinal drug infusion pump and refills its medication reservoir. |
85 | $55 | $2,000 |
| Compounded drug, not otherwise classified A medication prepared specifically for an individual patient by a pharmacist or physician, tailored to meet unique needs that cannot be fulfilled by commercially available products. |
80 | $65 | $464 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 72 | $6 | $12 |
| Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS. |
32 | $112 | $1,434 |
| 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. |
20 | $34 | $275 |
| 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. |
12 | $110 | $548 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗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 (2024)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (100%) 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 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. Watson is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 9% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 15% of TX peers, 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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