Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Paul Decker, MD
Family Medicine · Shenandoah, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Decker 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. Decker?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Decker
Dr. Paul Decker is a family medicine specialist in Shenandoah, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Decker performed 8,330 Medicare services across 5,398 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Decker received a total of $2,101 from 27 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 149 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family 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. Decker 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 2% volume in TX
$2,101 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗8,330
Medicare services
Top 2% in TX for family medicine
5,398
Unique beneficiaries
$34
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~438 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
1,134 | $85 | $330 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
798 | $8 | $32 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
794 | $10 | $43 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
784 | $9 | $37 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
779 | $16 | $69 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
772 | $13 | $55 |
| 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. |
678 | $58 | $222 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
589 | $10 | $40 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
459 | $125 | $357 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 260 | $6 | $12 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
203 | $8 | $10 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
154 | $31 | $77 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
148 | $72 | $109 |
| 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. |
144 | $10 | $105 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) | 112 | $18 | $75 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
82 | $10 | $52 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
78 | $3 | $10 |
| Drug test with direct observation A drug screening test performed under direct observation to ensure the sample is provided correctly. This method is used to verify the integrity of the specimen collection process. |
34 | $12 | $28 |
| Influenza virus detection test A laboratory test that uses an immunoassay technique to detect the presence of the influenza virus through direct visual observation. |
33 | $16 | $49 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
30 | $8 | $35 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
28 | $29 | $111 |
| 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. |
28 | $129 | $446 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
26 | $38 | $134 |
| Initial preventive physical examination, new Medicare beneficiary A comprehensive preventive health visit for new Medicare beneficiaries during their first 12 months of enrollment. The service is conducted as a face-to-face visit and is limited to preventive care. |
24 | $160 | $512 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
23 | $30 | $134 |
| Total testosterone level test A blood test that measures the total amount of testosterone in your body. This hormone is important for various bodily functions in both men and women. |
22 | $25 | $105 |
| Sex hormone binding globulin level test A blood test that measures the level of sex hormone binding globulin, a protein that binds to sex hormones in the bloodstream. |
20 | $21 | $89 |
| Free testosterone level test A blood test that measures the amount of free testosterone in your body. Free testosterone is the portion of the hormone not bound to proteins and available for use by tissues. |
20 | $25 | $104 |
| Inhalation treatment for airway obstruction or sputum production A treatment involving the inhalation of medication to help clear airway obstructions or reduce sputum production. |
19 | $6 | $56 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
11 | $45 | $186 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
11 | $15 | $62 |
| Folic acid level test A blood test that measures the amount of folic acid in the serum. |
11 | $14 | $60 |
| Strep A rapid test A rapid test to detect Group A Streptococcus bacteria using an immunoassay method with direct visual observation. |
11 | $16 | $49 |
| 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. |
11 | $78 | $332 |
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 ↗$2,101
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $350/year across 6 years
Top 26% in TX for family medicine
27
Companies
149
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
$2,070 (98.5%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$32 (1.5%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$844
2023
$556
2022
$327
2021
$39
2019
$159
2018
$177
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$337
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$270
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$209
Lilly USA, LLC
$172
ABBVIE INC.
$130
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$108
Exact Sciences Corporation
$103
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$102
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$94
PFIZER INC.
$77
AbbVie Inc.
$57
Dexcom, Inc.
$51
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$47
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$45
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$44
Allergan Inc.
$32
Boston Scientific Corporation
$30
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$26
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$25
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$22
Corium, LLC
$21
Seqirus USA Inc
$19
UPSHER-SMITH LABORATORIES LLC
$19
Novo Nordisk Inc
$19
Abbott Laboratories
$16
Cranial Technologies, Inc
$14
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 38.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIRSUPRA · AREXVY · AZSTARYS · BREZTRI · Cologuard Collection Kit · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · Doc Band · FARXIGA · FASENRA · FLUBLOK QUADRIVALENT NORTHERN HEMISPHERE · FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE · Flucelvax · GARDASIL · General - Pain Management · INSPIRE · Kerendia · LIVALO · LONHALA MAGNAIR · Livalo · MOUNJARO · NOCDURNA · NUEDEXTA · Nuedexta · OCTRODE · PREVNAR 13 · PREVNAR 20 · QUVIVIQ · REXULTI · TOSYMRA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRULICITY · UBRELVY · VRAYLAR · XIFAXAN · ZORYVE
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 (98%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $25 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
623
Per 100K population
95.2
County median income
$97,266
Nearest hospital
ST LUKE'S THE WOODLANDS HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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. Decker is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 2% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 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. Decker experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Decker performed 1,134 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Decker receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Decker received a total of $2,101 from 27 companies across 149 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. Decker's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Shenandoah?
Dr. Decker's average Medicare payment per service is $34. 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. Decker) 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 →
Explore related providers
Specialty guide
Understanding Family Medicine
Common procedures, typical costs, and what industry payments mean in family medicine.
Same specialty & city
Family Medicine Physicians in Shenandoah
Browse family medicine physicians in Shenandoah ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Family Medicine Physicians in TX
Family medicine physicians ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Family Medicine Physicians in TX
Which TX family medicine physicians receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
By company
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.
By company
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC.
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