Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Alfredo Arauco Brown, M.D.

Pulmonary Disease · Weslaco, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
1604 E 8TH ST, Weslaco, TX 78596
2144974123
In practice since 2010 (15 years)
NPI: 1841503513 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. Arauco Brown 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. Arauco Brown

Dr. Alfredo Arauco Brown is a pulmonary disease in Weslaco, TX, with 15 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Arauco Brown performed 1,450 Medicare services across 761 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Arauco Brown received a total of $4,172 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 28 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pulmonary disease. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Arauco Brown 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.

✓ 15 years in practice▲ Top 34% volume in TX$ $4,172 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,450
Medicare services
Top 34% in TX for pulmonary disease
761
Unique beneficiaries
$96
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~97 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
Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity345$91$150
Critical care, first 30-74 min311$163$376
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)226$87$150
Subsequent nursing facility care with high level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 45 minutes111$120$190
Test to measure expiratory airflow and volume changes before and after medication administration80$29$130
Test to determine lung volumes using sensors76$41$100
Test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases75$42$100
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)72$63$110
New patient office visit (45-59 min)41$113$200
Ultrasound scan of chest37$41$200
Test for exercise-induced lung stress32$25$75
Initial hospital admission, high complexity22$129$285
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity22$60$130
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 ↗
$4,172
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $596/year across 7 years
Top 37% in TX for pulmonary disease
13
Companies
28
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$2,536 (60.8%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,636 (39.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$3,017
2023
$331
2022
$247
2021
$301
2020
$14
2019
$136
2018
$126

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
$2,500
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$314
United Therapeutics Corporation
$299
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$214
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$197
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$154
Insmed, Inc.
$125
AbbVie Inc.
$125
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$107
Genentech USA, Inc.
$76
Medtronic, Inc.
$34
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$17
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 74.6% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AREXVY · Arikayce · DALVANCE · Da Vinci Surgical System · Esbriet · ILLUMISITE · LONHALA MAGNAIR · NUZYRA · OPSUMIT · TYVASO · UPTRAVI · WINREVAIR
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 →

The majority of payments (61%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in pulmonary disease and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Equivalent to $288 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a pulmonary disease in Weslaco?
Compare pulmonary diseases in the Weslaco area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Pulmonary Diseases within 10 mi
17
Per 100K population
1.9
County median income
$52,281
Nearest hospital
KNAPP MEDICAL CENTER
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. Arauco Brown is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and speaking/promotional industry engagement, with 15 years of practice experience.

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. Arauco Brown experienced with hospital follow-up visit, high complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Arauco Brown performed 345 hospital follow-up visit, high complexity 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. Arauco Brown receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Arauco Brown received a total of $4,172 from 13 companies across 28 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. Arauco Brown's costs compare to other pulmonary diseases in Weslaco?
Dr. Arauco Brown's average Medicare payment per service is $96. 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. Arauco Brown) 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 →