Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Jorge Alvarez, MD

Interventional Cardiology · San Antonio, TX
Practice pattern: Cardiac Imaging— Practice with significant diagnostic imaging and stress testing
Speaking/Promotional
4411 MEDICAL DR STE 300, San Antonio, TX 78229
2106145400
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1821183559 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. Alvarez 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. Alvarez? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Alvarez

Dr. Jorge Alvarez is an interventional cardiology in San Antonio, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Alvarez performed 7,525 Medicare services across 5,518 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Alvarez received a total of $69,065 from 57 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1209 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in interventional cardiology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. 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.

✓ 19 years in practice▲ Top 5% volume in TX$ $69,065 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
7,525
Medicare services
Top 5% in TX for interventional cardiology
5,518
Unique beneficiaries
$66
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~396 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
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity1,663$61$176
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)934$61$174
Echocardiogram, transthoracic821$52$176
Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead799$9$50
EKG interpretation and report619$6$23
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity368$100$335
Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity359$92$252
Use of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by physician performing a procedure (5 years or older), initial 15 minutes328$10$32
Nuclear medicine studies of heart muscle at rest and with stress and spect187$57$197
Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with electrocardiogram (ecg) with review by physician179$10$39
Cardiac catheterization177$159$829
Coronary stent placement153$390$1,503
New patient office visit (30-44 min)151$77$260
Heart muscle strain imaging137$9$32
Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with electrocardiogram (ecg) with supervision by physician99$16$59
Replacement of aortic valve through the skin and femoral artery77$570$3,365
Initial hospital admission, high complexity72$130$492
Ultrasound of heart with probe in esophagus, with report54$82$278
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)43$98$256
Ultrasound of heart with color-depicted blood flow, rate and valve function40$2$10
Ultrasound of heart blood flow, valves and chambers39$14$49
Ultrasound of both sides of head and neck blood flow39$28$77
Ultrasound evaluation of heart blood vessel during diagnosis or treatment, initial vessel27$38$775
Insertion of tube in left lower heart chamber, coronary artery and bypass graft for diagnosis with review by radiologist26$152$922
Complete ultrasound study of arm and leg arteries21$15$58
Insertion of tube in coronary artery for diagnosis with review by radiologist17$117$672
Insertion of tube in right and left heart chambers and coronary artery for diagnosis with review by radiologist17$224$1,027
3d radiographic procedure15$7$67
Ultrasound study of arm and leg arteries15$9$31
External shock to heart to regulate heart beat14$78$325
Repair of mitral valve through the skin, initial prosthesis12$1,316$4,704
New patient office visit (45-59 min)12$122$400
Insertion of blood flow assist device in lower heart chamber through skin with review by radiologist using artery access11$136$1,095
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.
17.9% high complexity
10.1% medium
72.1% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$69,065
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $9,866/year across 7 years
Top 10% in TX for interventional cardiology
57
Companies
1,209
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$45,858 (66.4%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$18,810 (27.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$4,058 (5.9%)
Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$339 (0.5%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$9,361
2023
$5,052
2022
$8,052
2021
$23,490
2020
$7,015
2019
$3,154
2018
$12,940

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$22,614
Medtronic, Inc.
$15,394
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$15,001
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$4,170
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,234
ABIOMED
$1,221
Abbott Laboratories
$1,048
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$912
PFIZER INC.
$710
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$515
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$496
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$472
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$426
Novo Nordisk Inc
$397
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$326
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$323
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$316
Amgen Inc.
$280
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$277
Medicure Pharma Inc.
$264
Ancora Heart, Inc.
$253
Boston Scientific Corporation
$239
Allergan Inc.
$237
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$199
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$163
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$159
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$135
Penumbra, Inc.
$131
ATRICURE, INC.
$97
Acist Medical Systems, Inc.
$96
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$92
Lundbeck LLC
$64
SCPHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$61
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$59
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$55
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$54
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$53
CARDIVA MEDICAL, INC.
$48
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$47
ARALEZ PHARMACEUTICALS US INC.
$42
BIOTRONIK INC.
$38
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$38
AtriCure, Inc.
$32
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$31
Preventice Services, LLC
$28
Cardinal Health 200, LLC
$27
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$24
Althera Pharmaceuticals LLC
$23
Maquet Cardiovascular U.S. Sales, L.L.C.
$21
Itamar Medical Inc
$21
Aziyo Biologics, Inc.
$19
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$16
Inari Medical, Inc.
$15
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$14
Avinger Inc.
$14
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$13
HeartFlow, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 76.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AMPLATZER · AMPLATZER Occluders · ANDEXXA · ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM · ATRICURE CRYOICE CRYOSPHERE CRYOABLATION SYSTEM · AccuCinch · Andexxa · AngioVac · Avalus · BG Mini Plus · BRILINTA · BYSTOLIC · BodyGuardian · CAMZYOS · CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder · CARDIVA VASCADE MVP VVCS 6-12F · CHANTIX · CLEVIPREX · COREVALVE EVOLUT R · CVI Consumables · CVI Systems · CareLink · CoreValve Evolut · DIAMONDBACK CORONARY · ECM Patch · EDARBI · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · EPI-SENSE GUIDED COAGULATION SYSTEM WITH VISITRAX · EPIC · EVKEEZA · Edarbi · Edarbyclor · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Heart Valve · FARXIGA · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · FUROSCIX · GENERAL - STRUCTURAL HEART · GENERAL METALLIC STENTS · GENERAL STRUCTURAL HEART · GENERAL THERAPIES · GORE CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder · General - Therapies · HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. · INSPIRE · Impella · Indigo System · Inpefa · JARDIANCE · Kerendia · LEQVIO · LINZESS · LOKELMA · LifeVest · MAMBA · MULTAQ · Mitra Clip system · MynxGrip Vascular Closure Device · NAVITOR · NEXLETOL · NORTHERA · ONPATTRO · OPTIMIZER · Ozempic · PANTHERIS · PORTICO · PRALUENT · Pouch · Repatha · Roszet · Rybelsus · S · SENSATION · VERQUVO · VYNDAQEL · Vascepa · WATCHMAN · WATCHMAN Access System · WatchPAT · Wegovy · XARELTO · ZIO Patch · ZIO XT Patch · ZONTIVITY
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 →

The majority of payments (66%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in interventional cardiology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for interventional cardiology in TX.

Equivalent to $918 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a interventional cardiology in San Antonio?
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Geographic Context

Interventional Cardiologys within 10 mi
33
Per 100K population
1.6
County median income
$70,571
Nearest hospital
UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM
0.0 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. Alvarez is a cardiac imaging specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in TX), and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 10%), 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. Alvarez experienced with hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Alvarez performed 1,663 hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity 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. Alvarez receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Alvarez received a total of $69,065 from 57 companies across 1,209 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. Alvarez's costs compare to other interventional cardiologys in San Antonio?
Dr. Alvarez's average Medicare payment per service is $66. 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. Alvarez) 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 →