Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Lauren Underwood, M.D.
Surgery · San Antonio, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
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. Underwood 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 →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Underwood
Dr. Lauren Underwood is a surgery specialist in San Antonio, TX, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Underwood performed 6,188 Medicare services across 1,661 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Underwood received a total of $5,125 from 43 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 208 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. 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. Underwood 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.
✓ 13 years in practice
▲ Top 1% volume in TX
$5,125 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗6,188
Medicare services
Top 1% in TX for surgery
1,661
Unique beneficiaries
$18
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~476 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) A contrast agent containing 300-399 mg/ml of iodine used to enhance imaging studies. It is administered per milliliter to improve the visibility of internal structures. |
3,901 | $0 | $2 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
550 | $3 | $21 |
| 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. |
388 | $92 | $259 |
| Bladder ultrasound after voiding An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder. |
319 | $7 | $50 |
| 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. |
139 | $107 | $397 |
| Cystourethroscopy A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract. |
99 | $56 | $597 |
| 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. |
98 | $60 | $175 |
| Complete ultrasound of retroperitoneum An ultrasound examination of the structures located behind the abdominal cavity. |
72 | $66 | $276 |
| Electronic assessment of bladder emptying A test that uses electronic monitoring to evaluate how well the bladder empties urine. |
63 | $4 | $200 |
| Complex urodynamic pressure flow study A test that measures the pressure of urine flow in the bladder during voiding to evaluate how well the bladder and urethra are functioning. |
53 | $166 | $740 |
| Abdominal device insertion with pressure and urine flow study A procedure involving the placement of a device into the abdomen, accompanied by a study to measure pressure and urine flow rate. |
51 | $98 | $350 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) | 46 | $18 | $70 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an established patient with straightforward or low-level medical decision making. The visit requires at least 25 minutes of time spent on the day of service. |
46 | $38 | $95 |
| Non-needle muscle activity measurement of bladder and bowel openings This procedure measures and records the electrical activity of muscles at the bladder and bowel openings without using needles. |
43 | $24 | $400 |
| Virtual check-in for established patient A brief communication service provided by a qualified healthcare professional to an established patient via technology, such as a virtual check-in. |
41 | $10 | $36 |
| Blood creatinine level test A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine, a waste product from muscle wear and tear, to help assess kidney function. |
39 | $5 | $20 |
| Free PSA test A blood test that measures the amount of unbound prostate-specific antigen in the blood. |
38 | $18 | $70 |
| CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis using contrast dye before and after administration to visualize internal structures. |
35 | $175 | $650 |
| 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. |
35 | $70 | $259 |
| Transrectal ultrasound of the pelvis An ultrasound imaging procedure where a probe is inserted into the rectum to visualize pelvic structures. |
30 | $24 | $275 |
| Bladder irrigation and/or instillation This procedure involves flushing the bladder with fluid to clear it or introducing medication directly into the bladder. |
25 | $51 | $250 |
| Prostate gland biopsy A procedure to remove small samples of tissue from the prostate gland for laboratory examination. |
21 | $91 | $535 |
| CT scan of abdomen and pelvis, without contrast A computed tomography scan that creates detailed images of the abdominal and pelvic organs. The procedure is performed without the use of intravenous contrast dye. |
20 | $74 | $375 |
| Prostate needle biopsy pathology exam Laboratory examination of prostate tissue samples obtained via needle biopsy. The pathologist inspects the tissue both visually and under a microscope to identify any abnormalities. |
20 | $138 | $1,075 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
16 | $100 | $325 |
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 ↗$5,125
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $732/year across 7 years
Top 40% in TX for surgery
43
Companies
208
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
$5,125 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$159
2023
$401
2022
$905
2021
$1,143
2020
$1,393
2019
$368
2018
$756
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Axonics, Inc.
$721
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$701
NeoTract Inc.
$437
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$425
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$273
ABBVIE INC.
$177
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$171
Medtronic, Inc.
$171
PFIZER INC.
$166
Allergan Inc.
$164
Allergan, Inc.
$145
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$144
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$139
UroGen Pharma, Inc.
$137
Boston Scientific Corporation
$107
Coloplast Corp
$84
UROVANT SCIENCES INC
$82
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$75
Valencia Technologies Corporation
$66
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$64
Hollister Incorporated
$63
AbbVie, Inc.
$58
MILLICENT US INC
$58
ConvaTec Inc.
$50
Duchesnay USA Incorporated
$41
Photocure Inc
$40
COLOPLAST CORP
$38
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$37
Avadel Specialty Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$36
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$36
Teleflex Medical Incorporated
$27
Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited
$27
Teleflex LLC
$20
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$17
Novo Nordisk Inc
$17
TherapeuticsMD, Inc.
$16
TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$16
CONMED Corporation
$15
Abbott Laboratories
$15
CooperSurgical, Inc.
$14
AKRIMAX PHARMACEUTICALS, LLC
$10
ACELL, INC.
$10
Ambu Inc.
$10
Top 3 companies account for 36.3% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIRSEAL · ALTIS · AQUABEAM ROBOTIC SYSTEM · Altis · Androgel · Axonics · Axonics r-SNM System · Axumin · BOTOX · BOTOX THERAPEUTIC · Bulkamid · Cysview · ELIGARD · ERLEADA · Erleada · Femring · GEMTESA · GENTLECATH · GentleCath · IMVEXXY · INTERSTIM · INTERSTIM ICON · Intrarosa · JELMYTO · KEYTRUDA · LUPRON DEPOT · Lupron · Lupron Depot · MYRBETRIQ · Myrbetriq · NOCDURNA · Noctiva · ORGOVYX · Onli · Osphena · Otrexup · PREMARIN · PROCLAIM · PROVENGE · PVC · Percutaneous Solutions: PERCUVANCE & MiniLap brands · SOLYX · Saxenda · Solyx SIS System · SpaceOAR VUE System - 10mL · SpeediCath · TOVIAZ · Thiola · Tirosint · UROLIFT · UroLift · Uterine Manipulators & Injectors · VAPRO · VESICARE · VaPro · XIAFLEX · XTANDI · XYOSTED · eCoin Device Kit
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $83 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Surgerists within 10 mi
274
Per 100K population
13.4
County median income
$70,571
Nearest hospital
BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER
2.8 mi
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. Underwood is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement.
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. Underwood experienced with contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Underwood performed 3,901 contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) 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. Underwood receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Underwood received a total of $5,125 from 43 companies across 208 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. Underwood's costs compare to other surgerists in San Antonio?
Dr. Underwood's average Medicare payment per service is $18. 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. Underwood) 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 →
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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.
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