Dr. Napoleon Puente Cuellar, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Puente Cuellar
Dr. Napoleon Puente Cuellar is a pulmonary disease specialist in San Antonio, TX, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Puente Cuellar performed 2,611 Medicare services across 1,691 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Puente Cuellar received a total of $184,156 from 37 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 533 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pulmonary disease. 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. Puente Cuellar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical care, first 30-74 min Emergency medical care for a critically ill or injured patient lasting between 30 and 74 minutes. This service involves direct patient care and medical decision making to stabilize the patient. |
760 | $163 | $668 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
612 | $91 | $255 |
| 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. |
305 | $89 | $259 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
141 | $61 | $177 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
102 | $133 | $496 |
| Pulmonary gas exchange test A test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases. |
97 | $41 | $128 |
| Lung volume test using sensors A test that measures the amount of air in the lungs using sensors. |
77 | $40 | $124 |
| Spirometry test before and after medication A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed of your breathing before and after taking a medication. |
70 | $27 | $143 |
| 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. |
42 | $121 | $397 |
| Bronchoscopy with ultrasound and lymph node sampling A procedure using an endoscope and ultrasound to examine the lung airways and collect samples from 1 to 2 lymph nodes. |
37 | $123 | $585 |
| Emergent tracheostomy An emergency procedure to create an opening in the windpipe to insert a breathing tube, guided by an endoscope. |
36 | $107 | $275 |
| Computer-assisted navigation of lung airways This procedure uses computer technology to guide an endoscope through the airways of the lungs for precise navigation. |
35 | $72 | $250 |
| Bronchial irrigation and suction for cell collection This procedure uses an endoscope to flush and suction the lung airways in order to collect cells for testing. |
32 | $59 | $340 |
| Bronchoscopy with ultrasound and growth treatment A procedure using a flexible tube with a camera and ultrasound to examine the lung airways and treat any growths found. |
31 | $50 | $170 |
| Expiratory airflow and volume test A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed at which you can breathe it out. It evaluates lung function by assessing expiratory airflow and volume. |
31 | $20 | $85 |
| Lung biopsy via endoscope, 1 lobe A procedure to remove a small sample of lung tissue from one lobe using an endoscope for examination. |
27 | $61 | $445 |
| Endoscopic destruction of lung airway growth or narrowing A procedure using an endoscope to destroy abnormal growths or relieve narrowing within the lung airways. |
25 | $185 | $643 |
| Insertion of non-tunneled central venous catheter A procedure to place a central venous catheter for infusion in patients aged 5 years or older. The catheter is inserted directly into a large vein without being tunneled under the skin. |
25 | $64 | $562 |
| 3D radiographic procedure with computerized image postprocessing A radiographic imaging procedure that creates three-dimensional images using computerized processing of the captured data. |
22 | $29 | $153 |
| Endoscopic needle biopsy of windpipe, airway, or lung A procedure where a needle is inserted through an endoscope to collect tissue samples from the windpipe, airway, or lung. |
20 | $55 | $475 |
| Arterial line insertion A tube is inserted into an artery through the skin to allow for blood sampling or infusion. |
19 | $34 | $128 |
| 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. |
19 | $10 | $60 |
| Vein-to-vein shunt insertion for hemodialysis A surgical procedure to create a connection between two veins. This shunt allows blood to flow directly from one vein to another to support hemodialysis treatment. |
18 | $89 | $309 |
| Bronchoscopy A diagnostic exam of the lung airways using an endoscope to visually inspect the inside of the lungs and airways. |
15 | $86 | $350 |
| Additional 30 minutes of critical care This code represents an additional 30 minutes of critical care services provided beyond the initial critical care time period. |
13 | $82 | $299 |
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 ›
The majority of payments (94%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in pulmonary disease and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for pulmonary disease in TX.
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. Puente Cuellar is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in TX), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 3% of TX peers, with 18 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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