Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Ricardo Alvarado, MD
Pain Medicine · San Antonio, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Alvarado 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. Alvarado
Dr. Ricardo Alvarado is a pain medicine specialist in San Antonio, TX, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Alvarado performed 6,865 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Alvarado received a total of $24,595 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 440 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Alvarado is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 18 years of NPI registration
▲ Top 14% volume in TX
$24,595 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗6,865
Medicare services
Top 14% in TX for pain medicine
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$42
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance Administration of an additional new medication or substance directly into a vein. |
824 | $12 | $55 |
| Office visit for established patient An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present. |
694 | $17 | $79 |
| Anti-nausea injection (ondansetron/Zofran) | 632 | $0 | $7 |
| Behavioral health care management, 20+ minutes This service involves clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional to manage behavioral health conditions. It requires at least 20 minutes of dedicated clinical staff time. |
502 | $32 | $139 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
494 | $0 | $10 |
| Psychological test evaluation, first hour A healthcare professional evaluates the results of psychological testing during an initial one-hour session. |
460 | $87 | $377 |
| 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. |
428 | $94 | $402 |
| Drug screening test A laboratory test that uses a chemistry analyzer to detect the presence of drugs in a sample. |
387 | $61 | $193 |
| Definitive drug test using GC/MS or LC/MS A definitive drug test that identifies specific drugs and distinguishes between structural isomers using advanced methods like GC/MS or LC/MS. |
385 | $241 | $748 |
| Additional hour of intravenous infusion This code represents each additional hour of intravenous infusion beyond the initial hour for therapy, prevention, or diagnosis. |
381 | $15 | $70 |
| Unclassified drug A medication that does not fit into standard HCPCS or CPT classification categories. |
222 | $3 | $2,210 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
201 | $33 | $205 |
| Electrocardiogram, 1 to 3 leads A test that records the electrical activity of the heart using one to three electrodes placed on the body. |
190 | $4 | $26 |
| Normal saline infusion, 500 ml Administration of sterile normal saline solution through an intravenous line. This procedure involves the infusion of a 500 ml unit of the solution. |
172 | $1 | $11 |
| 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. |
163 | $66 | $285 |
| Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg. |
135 | $0 | $9 |
| Venipuncture for blood draw Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect blood samples. This procedure is performed on patients aged 3 years or older. |
134 | $13 | $61 |
| 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. |
119 | $84 | $354 |
| Methylprednisolone injection, up to 125 mg An injection of methylprednisolone sodium succinate, a corticosteroid medication, with a dosage of up to 125 mg. |
85 | $4 | $26 |
| 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. |
81 | $10 | $51 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
63 | $136 | $560 |
| Ultrasound guidance for needle placement Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
45 | $45 | $188 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
30 | $102 | $797 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It allows healthcare providers to examine the structure and blood flow within these arteries. |
22 | $60 | $262 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
16 | $8 | $131 |
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
11.0% high complexity
34.2% medium
54.8% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$24,595
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,514/year across 7 years
Top 7% in TX for pain medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
22
Companies
440
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$4,942
2023
$5,379
2022
$8,049
2021
$765
2020
$259
2019
$3,211
2018
$1,989
Payments by company (2024)
Nevro Corp.
$3,211
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$547
Abbott Laboratories
$453
Boston Scientific Corporation
$326
PAINTEQ LLC
$145
BIOTRONIK NRO, Inc.
$109
MML US, Inc.
$99
Spinal Simplicity, LLC
$53
Top 3 companies account for 85.2% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Nevro Corp.
$11,535
Abbott Laboratories
$4,751
MML US, Inc.
$2,326
PAINTEQ LLC
$1,945
Boston Scientific Corporation
$1,278
Spinal Simplicity, LLC
$583
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$573
Stimwave Technologies Incorporated
$354
PFIZER INC.
$305
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$204
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$191
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$131
Vertiflex, Inc.
$120
BIOTRONIK NRO, Inc.
$109
Flowonix Medical Incorporated
$65
SI-BONE, Inc.
$20
SI-BONE, INC.
$20
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$20
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$18
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$17
GRT US Holding, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 75.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AJOVY · AXIUM · Axium INS DRG IPG · EON C · ETERNA · EXCLAIM · GATTEX · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · HA MINUTEMAN G3-R · Hi-Torque Floppy guide wire · INTELLIS · IONICRF · LYRICA · Merlin Connectivity and Remote · Minuteman · Neuromodulation Dspsbls and Accs · OCTRODE · ORTHOVISC · Octrode SCS Leads · Omnia · PAINTEQ · PENTA · PROCLAIM · PRODIGY · Penta SCS Leads · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · Prodigy Family of SCS IPGs · Prometra II · Prospera · QUATTRODE · Qutenza · ReActiv8 · SCS IPGs · SCS leads · SPRINT PNS System · Senza · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · StimQ Receiver Stimulator Kit Channel A US w/Receiver · Superion · Superion ISS · Superion Indirect Decompression System · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · Xience Sierra Coronary Stent System · ZTLido 30 POUCH in 1 CARTON 1 PATCH in 1 POUCH · iFuse Implant · mild Device Kit
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Geographic Context
Pain medicines in nearby ZIP areas
10
County median income
$70,571
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM
3.1 mi
3.1 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | NPPES snapshot; verify current record |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | PECOS snapshot |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not included | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Alvarado is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 14% in TX), with 18 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Alvarado experienced with intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Alvarado performed 824 intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Alvarado receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Alvarado received a total of $24,595 from 22 companies across 440 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. Alvarado's costs compare to other pain medicines in San Antonio?
Dr. Alvarado's average Medicare payment per service is $42. 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. Alvarado) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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. Data Coverage reflects 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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