Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Craig Winkler, M.D.

Orthopedic Surgery · Tomball, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
13603 MICHEL RD, Tomball, TX 77375
2813517261
In practice since 2013 (12 years)
NPI: 1669818720 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. Winkler 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. Winkler

Dr. Craig Winkler is an orthopedic surgery in Tomball, TX, with 12 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Winkler performed 6,772 Medicare services across 1,113 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Winkler received a total of $7,965 from 18 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 83 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. 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. Winkler 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.

✓ 12 years in practice▲ Top 6% volume in TX$ $7,965 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
6,772
Medicare services
Top 6% in TX for orthopedic surgery
1,113
Unique beneficiaries
$21
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~564 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
Joint lubricant injection (TriVisc)3,834$7$23
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)1,532$1$3
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)292$97$367
Joint injection, major joint259$54$181
X-ray of knee, 4 or more views194$35$125
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)181$64$190
Hip X-ray, 2-3 views131$36$100
Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min81$18$90
New patient office visit (45-59 min)67$114$482
X-ray of knee, 1-2 views40$24$96
X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views20$37$148
New patient office visit (30-44 min)20$66$257
Total knee replacement18$996$3,754
X-ray of both hips, 3-4 views17$39$113
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity17$61$183
Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views16$25$71
Total hip replacement15$1,049$3,670
Initial hospital care with straightforward or low level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 40 minutes14$58$204
Injection into tendon or ligament13$37$138
Mri scan of lower spinal canal without contrast11$103$442
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.
0.5% high complexity
83.4% medium
16.1% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$7,965
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,138/year across 7 years
Top 41% in TX for orthopedic surgery
18
Companies
83
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
$7,965 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$412
2023
$284
2022
$272
2021
$2,514
2020
$556
2019
$2,742
2018
$1,185

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Stryker Corporation
$4,712
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$1,063
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$920
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$484
Medinc of Texas
$286
Arthrex, Inc.
$190
Alafair Biosciences, Inc.
$40
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$38
Innovation Technologies Inc
$36
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$34
Bioventus LLC
$33
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$32
TEI Medical Inc.
$32
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$17
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$15
MicroPort Orthopedics Inc
$12
Globus Medical, Inc.
$12
Intellijoint Surgical Inc.
$9
Top 3 companies account for 84.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCOLADE · ACTIS · ADAPT · ATTUNE · AUGMENT INJECTABLE · BRAINLAB · Distal Tibia Plating · Durolane · EUFLEXXA · G7 · GMK SPHERE · HYMOVIS · IM NAILS · IRRISEPT · Intellijoint HIP · MAKO · MONOVISC · MPO Medial Pivot Knee · OMEGA · PENNSAID · PRIMATRIX · PROFYLE · SPRINT PNS System · TFN ADVANCED · TRIATHLON · TRIDENT · Taperloc · VersaWrap
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $118 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a orthopedic surgery in Tomball?
Compare orthopedic surgerys in the Tomball area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse orthopedic surgerys nearby

Geographic Context

Orthopedic Surgerys within 10 mi
120
Per 100K population
2.5
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE TOMBALL
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. Winkler is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in TX), and low-engagement industry engagement.

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. Winkler experienced with joint lubricant injection (trivisc)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Winkler performed 3,834 joint lubricant injection (trivisc) 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. Winkler receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Winkler received a total of $7,965 from 18 companies across 83 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. Winkler's costs compare to other orthopedic surgerys in Tomball?
Dr. Winkler's average Medicare payment per service is $21. 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. Winkler) 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 →