Valerie Espinosa, MD
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism · Austin, TXNPI 1649245697
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
This record is dominated by consulting fees: $2,295 of the $3,023 with a category attached, or 75.9%. Novo Nordisk accounts for 78.9% of it on its own, with 18 other manufacturers making up the rest. Reporting peaked in 2020 at $2,295 and has fallen 91.7% since, to $190 in 2025. That places this record below the midpoint for endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism clinicians in TX, where the typical reported total is $2,974.
Across 39 payments — averaging $77.51 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Novo Nordisk$2K
- Medtronic$120
- Amgen$106
- AbbVie$64
- Abbott$37
- Lilly USA, LLC$35
- plus $277 from 13 others
Across 1,011 payments — averaging $1163.00 each. Payments tied to a research study. These frequently flow through the physician to a hospital or research institution rather than to the physician personally.
- Novo Nordisk AS$731K
- Eli Lilly$391K
- Ascendis Pharma Endocrinology Inc$35K
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.$17K
- Shire North American Group Inc$2K
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$2,29576%
- Food & beverage$68023%
- Education$472%
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Novo Nordisk | 6 | $2,384 |
| Medtronic | 6 | $120 |
| Amgen | 5 | $106 |
| AbbVie | 3 | $64 |
| Abbott | 2 | $37 |
| Lilly USA, LLC | 2 | $35 |
| Nevro Corp. | 1 | $34 |
| Pfizer | 2 | $33 |
| Intuity Medical Inc | 2 | $31 |
| Novartis | 1 | $21 |
| Alvogen Inc | 1 | $20 |
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. | 1 | $19 |
| Recordati_rare_diseases_inc. | 1 | $19 |
| Sequel Med Tech, LLC | 1 | $19 |
| Ascendis Pharma Endocrinology Inc | 1 | $17 |
| Corcept Therapeutics | 1 | $17 |
| Shire North American Group Inc | 1 | $17 |
| Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. | 1 | $17 |
| Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1 | $14 |
How this compares
$3,023 in reported general payments places this provider in the 50th percentile of 658 endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism providers in Texas.
See all endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism providers in Texas →
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| OzempicSemaglutide | 188 | $229,528 |
| JardianceEmpagliflozin | 107 | $119,526 |
| TymlosAbaloparatide | 34 | $101,750 |
| ForteoTeriparatide | 13 | $99,395 |
| MounjaroTirzepatide | 75 | $94,748 |
| TrulicityDulaglutide | 50 | $87,656 |
| Teriparatide | 35 | $86,332 |
| FarxigaDapagliflozin Propanediol | 42 | $42,884 |
| SynthroidLevothyroxine Sodium | 423 | $37,180 |
| JanuviaSitagliptin Phosphate | 28 | $32,125 |
| ProliaDenosumab | 11 | $18,299 |
| JanumetSitagliptin Phos/Metformin Hcl | 13 | $18,226 |
| TradjentaLinagliptin | 13 | $17,431 |
| Tresiba Flextouch U-100Insulin Degludec | 22 | $15,983 |
| Repatha SureclickEvolocumab | 18 | $14,125 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Companies that both paid and supply prescribed drugs
These companies both reported payments to this provider and make drugs the provider prescribed under Medicare Part D in 2024. For most specialties this overlap is expected — a cardiologist who is paid by a cardiology drugmaker also treats heart disease. It is shown so the reader can see it, not because it implies anything on its own.
| Company | Paid to this provider | Part D cost of their drugs |
|---|---|---|
| Lilly USA, LLCForteo, Mounjaro, Trulicity, Humalog | $35 | $285,369149 claims |
| Novo NordiskOzempic | $2,384 | $229,528188 claims |
| Alvogen IncTeriparatide | $20 | $86,33235 claims |
| AbbVieSynthroid, Armour Thyroid | $64 | $39,797458 claims |
| AmgenProlia | $106 | $18,29911 claims |
| PfizerLevoxyl | $33 | $86815 claims |
Reading this fairly. The Part D column is what drug plans and patients paid pharmacies — this provider received none of it, and it reflects how many patients they treat and what those drugs cost. Against peers, this provider's reported payments sit in the 50th percentile of 658 endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism providers in Texas.
Other endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism in Austin
- Thomas BlevinsAustin$904K
- Lindsay HarrisonAustin$103K
- Lance SloanLufkin$1.7M
- Pablo MoraDallas$1.3M
- Robert HoodBeaumont$1.3M
- Eduardo LunaEdinburg$1.3M
- Steve FordanDallas$1.2M
- Rosemarie LajaraPlano$1.2M
- Saleemah FahmiDallas$1.2M
- Julio RosenstockDallas$1.2M
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.