Dr. John Alvarez, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Alvarez
Dr. John Alvarez is a gastroenterology in San Antonio, TX, with 13 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Alvarez performed 1,099 Medicare services across 928 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Alvarez received a total of $11,041 from 44 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 458 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in gastroenterology. 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. Alvarez 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity | 239 | $58 | $146 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 146 | $58 | $148 |
| Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy | 85 | $53 | $680 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity | 75 | $99 | $278 |
| Colonoscopy with biopsy | 59 | $125 | $847 |
| Ultrasound exam of esophagus, stomach, and/or upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope | 57 | $147 | $955 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 56 | $93 | $217 |
| Review by radiologist of image from tube placement into bile duct using an endoscope | 54 | $18 | $146 |
| Removal of polyps or growths of large bowel using an endoscope with mechanical snare | 34 | $195 | $1,067 |
| Diagnostic exam of esophagus, stomach, and/or upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope | 30 | $83 | $518 |
| Initial hospital care with straightforward or low level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 40 minutes | 28 | $59 | $206 |
| Ultrasound guided needle aspiration or biopsy of esophagus, stomach, and/or upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope | 27 | $152 | $1,110 |
| Insertion of stent into pancreatic or bile duct using a flexible endoscope | 27 | $330 | $1,955 |
| Removal of stone or debris from bile or pancreatic duct using a flexible endoscope | 25 | $141 | $1,537 |
| Colorectal cancer screening; colonoscopy on individual at high risk | 22 | $166 | $778 |
| Replacement of stent in pancreatic or bile duct using a flexible endoscope | 21 | $351 | $2,036 |
| Incision of pancreatic outlet using a flexible endoscope | 17 | $83 | $1,509 |
| Insertion of guide wire with dilation of esophagus using a flexible endoscope | 16 | $92 | $701 |
| Removal of stent from pancreatic or bile duct using a flexible endoscope | 15 | $219 | $1,591 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) | 14 | $61 | $219 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity | 14 | $38 | $80 |
| Balloon dilation of esophagus, stomach, and/or upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope, less than 3.0 cm | 13 | $74 | $649 |
| Removal of polyps or growths of esophagus, stomach, and/or upper small bowel using an endoscope with mechanical snare | 13 | $142 | $827 |
| Diagnostic exam of large bowel using a flexible endoscope | 12 | $127 | $781 |
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
2.8 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. Alvarez is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 21% in TX), and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 18%).
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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Explore related providers
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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