Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Michael Fichter, PA-C

Physician Assistant · Waco, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
321 RICHLAND WEST CIR, Waco, TX 76712
2542359355
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1215116652 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. Fichter 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. Fichter

Dr. Michael Fichter is a physician assistant in Waco, TX, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Fichter performed 801 Medicare services across 609 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Fichter received a total of $4,234 from 31 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 222 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in physician assistant. 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. Fichter 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.

✓ 18 years in practice ▲ Top 17% volume in TX $4,234 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
801
Medicare services
Top 17% in TX for physician assistant
609
Unique beneficiaries
$30
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~44 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
Dexamethasone injection (steroid) 159 $0 $5
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 146 $51 $213
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 123 $75 $313
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle 72 $7 $73
Detection test by immunoassay technique for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 60 $35 $136
Detection test by immunoassay with direct visual observation for influenza virus 37 $16 $49
Betamethasone steroid injection 36 $4 $17
Chest X-ray, 2 views 35 $16 $80
Automated urinalysis 34 $2 $9
Detection test by immunoassay with direct visual observation for streptococcus, group a (strep) 28 $16 $49
Detection test by immunoassay technique for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and influenza 22 $68 $220
Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead 22 $9 $57
Administration of vaccine 14 $12 $73
New patient office visit (45-59 min) 13 $74 $479
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 ↗
$4,234
Total received (2021-2024)
Avg $1,058/year across 4 years
Top 11% in TX for physician assistant
31
Companies
222
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
$4,234 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,827
2023
$438
2022
$755
2021
$1,214

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$542
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$402
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$358
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$350
Novo Nordisk Inc
$308
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$257
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$218
Amgen Inc.
$195
Abbott Laboratories
$191
PFIZER INC.
$144
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$140
Boston Scientific Corporation
$132
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$128
Medtronic, Inc.
$100
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$96
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$85
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$83
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$64
Vifor Pharma, Inc.
$62
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$55
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$50
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$39
ATRICURE, INC.
$37
ABIOMED
$36
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$31
ConvaTec Inc.
$30
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$27
Nevro Corp.
$21
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$21
Philips North America LLC
$19
HEARTFLOW, INC.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 30.7% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(CK4) MCOT · ANDEXXA · ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM · AURYON LASER SYSTEM 100-120 VAC · Arcalyst · CAMZYOS · CARDIOMEMS · Confirm Rx · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · FARXIGA · FFRct · Flexitouch Plus · INNOVAMATRIX AC · Impella · JARDIANCE · LEQVIO · LifeVest · Livalo · MULTAQ · NEXLETOL · NEXLIZET · ONPATTRO · OPSUMIT · Ozempic · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Rybelsus · SYNERGY · Senza · VENASEAL · VERQUVO · Vascepa · Veltassa · VenaSeal · WINREVAIR · XARELTO
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 $529 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a physician assistant in Waco?
Compare physician assistants in the Waco area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Physician assistants within 10 mi
74
Per 100K population
28.1
County median income
$63,888
Nearest hospital
ASCENSION PROVIDENCE
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. Fichter is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 17% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 11% of TX peers, with 18 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. Fichter experienced with dexamethasone injection (steroid)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Fichter performed 159 dexamethasone injection (steroid) 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. Fichter receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Fichter received a total of $4,234 from 31 companies across 222 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. Fichter's costs compare to other physician assistants in Waco?
Dr. Fichter's average Medicare payment per service is $30. 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. Fichter) 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 →