Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Pendleton Wickersham, M.D.

Rheumatology · San Antonio, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
4511 HORIZON HILL BLVD, San Antonio, TX 78229
2104772626
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1053380048 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. Wickersham 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. Wickersham? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Wickersham

Dr. Pendleton Wickersham is a rheumatology in San Antonio, TX, with 20 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Wickersham performed 166,354 Medicare services across 6,584 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Wickersham received a total of $1,008,564 from 55 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 2326 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. 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. Wickersham 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.

✓ 20 years in practice▲ Top 7% volume in TX$ $1,008,564 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
166,354
Medicare services
Top 7% in TX for rheumatology
6,584
Unique beneficiaries
$11
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~8,318 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
Tocilizumab injection (Actemra)57,827$5$8
Injection, anifrolumab-fnia, 1 mg44,742$13$32
Certolizumab injection (Cimzia)37,200$4$14
Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva)7,923$18$29
Injection, rituximab, 10 mg2,410$63$131
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)2,150$90$210
Measurement of antibody for assessment of autoimmune disorder, any method1,536$17$49
Blood draw (venipuncture)1,246$6$6
Complete blood count (CBC) with differential1,032$7$21
Comprehensive metabolic blood panel1,024$10$29
Hyaluronan or derivative, hymovis, for intra-articular injection, 1 mg984$13$60
Red blood cell sedimentation rate, to detect inflammation, non-automated953$4$10
C-reactive protein test (inflammation marker)943$5$14
Drug screening test667$60$122
Vitamin D level test540$28$74
Administration of chemotherapy into vein, 1 hour or less510$98$246
Administration of non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy under skin or into muscle341$56$136
Measurement of complement (immune system proteins), antigen,322$12$33
Analysis of substance using immunoassay technique, multiple step method280$11$40
Manual urinalysis test with examination using microscope, non-automated270$4$9
Injection of additional new drug or substance into vein255$12$42
Screening test for autoimmune disorder216$12$33
Aspiration and/or injection of fluid large joint using ultrasound guidance213$81$181
Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 80 mg212$9$26
Injection, methylprednisolone sodium succinate, up to 40 mg209$3$9
Measurement of dna antibody, native or double stranded191$13$38
Administration of chemotherapy into vein, each additional hour153$21$52
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle147$10$30
Rheumatoid factor level140$6$16
Measurement of antibody for assessment of autoimmune disorder, titer127$11$28
X-ray of hand, 2 views125$23$53
Tuberculosis test, gamma interferon123$60$153
Injection, diphenhydramine hcl, up to 50 mg121$1$20
Flu vaccine administration109$30$40
Bone density scan (DEXA)98$36$92
Flu vaccine, quadrivalent91$76$100
Measurement of antibody for rheumatoid arthritis assessment90$13$36
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test88$16$46
New patient office visit (45-59 min)80$115$313
Thyroxine (thyroid chemical), total77$6$19
Thyroid hormone evaluation76$6$18
Hyaluronan or derivative, euflexxa, for intra-articular injection, per dose51$100$314
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)46$53$142
X-ray of knee, 1-2 views40$22$54
Cyanocobalamin (vitamin b-12) level, unsaturated binding capacity38$14$20
Creatine kinase (cardiac enzyme) level, total36$6$18
Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides)34$13$22
Parathyroid hormone level test34$40$113
Liver function blood test panel29$8$22
Uric acid level test28$4$12
Injection of trigger points, 3 or more muscles26$42$122
X-ray of foot, 2 views22$20$47
Calcium level, total22$5$12
Blood creatinine level22$5$12
Influenza vaccine, quadrivalent, 0.5 ml dosage18$20$36
X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views15$37$94
Beta 2 glycoprotein 1 antibody (autoantibody) measurement14$25$63
Cardiolipin antibody (tissue antibody) measurement14$25$63
Microsomal antibodies (autoantibody) measurement12$14$36
Thyroglobulin (thyroid protein) antibody measurement12$16$39
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 ↗
$1,008,564
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $144,081/year across 7 years
Top 1% in TX for rheumatology
55
Companies
2,326
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
$905,861 (89.8%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$65,626 (6.5%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$37,076 (3.7%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$248,678
2023
$170,582
2022
$219,281
2021
$69,223
2020
$86,489
2019
$130,665
2018
$83,645

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$235,890
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$161,286
AbbVie Inc.
$155,287
Lilly USA, LLC
$119,103
AbbVie, Inc.
$89,198
GENZYME CORPORATION
$52,699
Amgen Inc.
$41,150
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$40,025
AstraZeneca UK Limited
$39,588
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$33,734
UCB, Inc.
$13,380
NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
$5,302
PFIZER INC.
$4,955
Eli Lilly and Company
$3,775
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$2,765
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$2,688
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,380
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$1,113
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$1,067
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$1,035
Horizon Pharma plc
$441
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$434
Genentech USA, Inc.
$406
Radius Health, Inc.
$304
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$217
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$166
Nevro Corp.
$144
Pacira Therapeutics, Inc.
$139
SOBI, INC
$69
FIDIA PHARMA USA INC.
$68
Sobi, Inc
$55
Octapharma USA, Inc.
$55
Mallinckrodt LLC
$49
Allergan, Inc.
$49
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$48
ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$46
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$44
Bio Products Laboratory USA, Inc.
$43
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$40
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$37
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$34
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$32
Abbott Laboratories
$29
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$24
Grifols USA, LLC
$24
Bioventus LLC
$23
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$17
Mylan Institutional Inc.
$14
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$14
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$14
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$13
Assertio Therapeutics, Inc.
$12
West-Ward Pharmaceuticals
$12
MEDAC PHARMA, INC.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 54.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · AMJEVITA · AVSOLA · Actemra · Adempas · Aimovig · Arcalyst · BENLYSTA · Bimzelx · COSENTYX · Cimzia · Crysvita · EUFLEXXA · EVENITY · EVUSHELD · Enbrel · FLUMIST QUADRIVALENT · FORTEO · GELSYN 3 · Gammaplex · Gamunex-C · Gralise · HUMIRA · HYM/HYN · Humira · Hymovis · IDACIO · ILARIS · INFLECTRA · KEVZARA · KINERET · KRYSTEXXA · Kineret · LUPKYNIS · LYRICA · MONOVISC · Mitigare · Movantik · NO PRODUCT DISCUSSED · NO_PRODUCT · NURTEC ODT · OCTAGAM IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HUMAN) · OFEV · ORENCIA · Omnia · Otrexup · PENNSAID · PURIFIED CORTROPHIN GEL · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · QULIPTA · Quzyttir · RAYOS · REDITREX · REMICADE · RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS DISEASE · RINVOQ · Rasuvo · Rinvoq · Rituxan · SAPHNELO · SIMPONI ARIA · SKYRIZI · STELARA · SYNVISC-ONE · Senza · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · TALTZ · TAVNEOS · TREMFYA · Tavneos · Truxima · Tymlos · UBRELVY · XELJANZ · Zilretta
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 (90%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in rheumatology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for rheumatology in TX.

Equivalent to $606 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a rheumatology in San Antonio?
Compare rheumatologys in the San Antonio area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Rheumatologys within 10 mi
50
Per 100K population
2.5
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. Wickersham is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in TX), and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 1%), with 20 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. Wickersham experienced with tocilizumab injection (actemra)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Wickersham performed 57,827 tocilizumab injection (actemra) 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. Wickersham receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Wickersham received a total of $1,008,564 from 55 companies across 2,326 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. Wickersham's costs compare to other rheumatologys in San Antonio?
Dr. Wickersham's average Medicare payment per service is $11. 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. Wickersham) 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 →