Dr. Sergio Alvarado, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Alvarado
Dr. Sergio Alvarado is a pain medicine specialist in San Antonio, TX, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Alvarado performed 13,756 Medicare services across 3,640 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Alvarado received a total of $4,440 from 44 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 252 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain medicine. 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. Alvarado 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 3,971 | $86 | $319 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) | 2,294 | $0 | $10 |
| Extended-release steroid injection (Zilretta) | 1,285 | $13 | $33 |
| Drug screening test | 1,122 | $59 | $100 |
| Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) | 1,088 | $0 | $30 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) | 574 | $1 | $30 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 382 | $6 | $10 |
| Injection of anesthetic and/or steroid drug into sacral spine nerve root using imaging guidance, single level | 246 | $224 | $695 |
| Injection, acetaminophen, not otherwise specified,10 mg | 240 | $0 | $20 |
| Injection, ketorolac tromethamine, per 15 mg | 221 | $0 | $5 |
| Evaluation of psychological test, first hour | 179 | $92 | $354 |
| Evaluation of neuropsychological test, first hour | 179 | $100 | $382 |
| Administration of psychological or neuropsychological test by technician, first 30 minutes | 179 | $25 | $97 |
| Alcohol and/or substance (other than tobacco) misuse structured assessment (e.g., audit, dast), and brief intervention 15 to 30 minutes | 179 | $27 | $102 |
| Drug test(s), definitive, utilizing (1) drug identification methods able to identify individual drugs and distinguish between structural isomers (but not necessarily stereoisomers), including, but not limited to gc/ms (any type, single or tandem) and lc/ms | 173 | $190 | $300 |
| Drug test(s), definitive, utilizing (1) drug identification methods able to identify individual drugs and distinguish between structural isomers (but not necessarily stereoisomers), including, but not limited to gc/ms (any type, single or tandem) and lc/ms | 139 | $103 | $175 |
| Joint injection, major joint | 127 | $48 | $182 |
| Annual depression screening | 123 | $18 | $54 |
| Injection of anesthetic and/or steroid drug into sacral spine nerve root using imaging guidance, each additional level | 121 | $85 | $306 |
| Drug test(s), definitive, utilizing (1) drug identification methods able to identify individual drugs and distinguish between structural isomers (but not necessarily stereoisomers), including, but not limited to gc/ms (any type, single or tandem) and lc/ms | 109 | $228 | $325 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement | 87 | $83 | $314 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 75 | $114 | $482 |
| Injection of lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance, single level | 59 | $174 | $510 |
| Injection of lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance, second level | 56 | $93 | $262 |
| Injection, propofol, 10 mg | 56 | $0 | $10 |
| Destruction of lower or sacral spinal facet joint nerves using imaging guidance, each additional facet joint | 55 | $222 | $502 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 80 mg | 52 | $9 | $19 |
| Injection of substance into middle or upper spine canal using imaging guidance | 50 | $185 | $761 |
| Injection of trigger points, 3 or more muscles | 46 | $42 | $188 |
| Destruction of lower or sacral spinal facet joint nerves using imaging guidance, single facet joint | 44 | $398 | $1,221 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into joint between lower spine and hip bone using imaging guidance | 41 | $131 | $200 |
| Blood glucose (sugar) test performed by hand-held instrument | 36 | $3 | $50 |
| Injection, midazolam hydrochloride, per 1 mg | 32 | $0 | $10 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle | 30 | $11 | $42 |
| Injection of upper or middle spine facet joint using imaging guidance, single level | 26 | $177 | $560 |
| Injection of upper or middle spine facet joint using imaging guidance, second level | 25 | $88 | $282 |
| Injection, fentanyl citrate, 0.1 mg | 25 | $1 | $3 |
| Infusion into a vein for hydration, 31-60 minutes | 18 | $22 | $116 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 20 mg | 12 | $5 | $10 |
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 ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
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. Alvarado is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 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
Is Dr. Alvarado experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Does Dr. Alvarado receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
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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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