Veronika Nicholson, M.D.
Internal Medicine Physician · Houston, TX 77007 · NPI 1740280387
150%of Medicare
BCBSTX pays Veronika Nicholson, M.D. $144.33 for a 99213 — Office visit, established patient, low complexity. Medicare pays $96.33 for the same service in this locality. Commercial insurance is widely assumed to pay above Medicare.
Negotiated rates vs Medicare
| Service | BCBSTX | Medicare | % of Medicare | Among Houston internal medicine physicians |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99213Office visit, established patient, low complexity | $144.33 | $96.33 | 150% | above 100% of 1,057 Houston internal medicine physicians |
| 99214Office visit, established patient, moderate complexity | $145.74 | $137.41 | 106% | above 84% of 1,057 Houston internal medicine physicians |
Also contracted — outside this specialty’s usual billing
| Service | BCBSTX | Medicare | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70553MRI brain, with and without contrast | $88.84 | $317.92 | 28% | not typically billed by internal medicine physicians |
| 72148MRI lumbar spine, without contrast | $159.58 | $192.38 | 83% | not typically billed by internal medicine physicians |
| 74177CT abdomen and pelvis, with contrast | $70.74 | $300.72 | 24% | not typically billed by internal medicine physicians |
| 77067Screening mammography, bilateral | $29.61 | $126.38 | 23% | not typically billed by internal medicine physicians |
A payer’s file carries a rate for every code in the contract’s fee class, whether or not the clinician will ever bill it. These rows are real, and they are how the fee class shows through — but they are not evidence that Veronika Nicholson, M.D. performs these services, and they are kept out of the benchmark above.