Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Scott Dlugos, MD

Emergency Medicine · El Centro, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
1415 ROSS AVE, El Centro, CA 92243
6195436463
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1790748234 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. Dlugos 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. Dlugos

Dr. Scott Dlugos is an emergency medicine specialist in El Centro, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Dlugos performed 4,162 Medicare services across 2,686 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Dlugos received a total of $690 from 7 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 41 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in emergency medicine. 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. Dlugos is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ Top 1% volume in CA $690 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
4,162
Medicare services
Top 1% in CA for emergency medicine
2,686
Unique beneficiaries
$106
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~208 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
Home visit, established patient, high complexity
A home visit for an established patient involving high-level medical decision making, lasting at least 60 minutes.
2,563 $146 $500
Exercise-induced lung stress test
A test performed to evaluate how the lungs function during physical exertion. It helps identify breathing difficulties or lung conditions that occur specifically when exercising.
262 $27 $150
Home visit, established patient, straightforward decision making
A home visit for an established patient involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit lasts at least 15 minutes when time is used to determine the level of service.
248 $35 $200
Skin and tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less
This procedure involves the surgical excision of skin and underlying tissue from an area measuring 20 square centimeters or smaller.
227 $48 $223
Dexamethasone injection (steroid)
An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram.
200 $0 $0
Home visit, new patient, moderate complexity
A home visit for a new patient involving moderate medical decision making, lasting at least 60 minutes.
190 $110 $500
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
63 $60 $145
Additional skin and tissue removal, per 20 sq cm
This code covers the removal of skin and tissue for each additional 20 square centimeters or less beyond the initial procedure.
53 $20 $150
Transitional care management services, moderate complexity
Services provided to coordinate care during the transition from an inpatient or other facility setting back to the community. This includes follow-up and management of a health problem of at least moderate complexity.
41 $128 $407
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle
A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle.
40 $10 $46
New patient office visit (45-59 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter.
28 $106 $175
Home health agency supervision, complex multidisciplinary care
Supervision by a physician or allowed practitioner for a patient receiving Medicare-covered services from a participating home health agency. This involves complex and multidisciplinary care modalities, with the patient not present during the supervision.
28 $85 $350
COVID-19 immunoassay detection test
A laboratory test that uses an immunoassay method to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) through direct visual observation.
26 $39 $59
Comprehensive metabolic blood panel
A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers.
25 $10 $30
Complete blood count (CBC) with differential
An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells.
24 $8 $25
Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg
An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg.
24 $0 $3
Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead
A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report.
21 $10 $79
Urinalysis, manual
A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells.
19 $3 $24
New patient office visit, 15-29 minutes
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting 15 to 29 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter meets this duration threshold.
19 $54 $137
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
19 $41 $90
Troponin blood test
A blood test that measures the amount of troponin protein in your body. Troponin is released into the blood when heart muscle is damaged.
16 $12 $20
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)
A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
15 $98 $205
Influenza virus nucleic acid detection test
A laboratory test that uses nucleic acid technology to detect multiple types of influenza virus.
11 $86 $144
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 ↗
$690
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $138/year across 5 years
Top 14% in CA for emergency medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
7
Companies
41
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
$640 (92.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$51 (7.3%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$48
2023
$23
2022
$35
2019
$239
2018
$345

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$48
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$253
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$197
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$125
Organogenesis Inc.
$51
Allergan Inc.
$28
Amniox Medical, Inc.
$23
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$13
Top 3 companies account for 83.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AVYCAZ · Apligraf · COLLAGENASE SANTYL · GRAFIX · Grafix PL PRIME · GrafixPL · INVOKANA · LOKELMA · NEOX · Oasis · PICO · Santyl · Stravix
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 (93%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for an emergency medicine specialist in El Centro?
Compare emergency medicines in the El Centro area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse emergency medicines nearby

Geographic Context

Emergency medicines within 10 mi
16
Per 100K population
8.9
County median income
$56,393
Nearest hospital
EL CENTRO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
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 reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Dlugos is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 14% of CA peers, with 20 years of NPI registration.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Dlugos experienced with home visit, established patient, high complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Dlugos performed 2,563 home visit, established patient, 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. Dlugos receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Dlugos received a total of $690 from 7 companies across 41 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. Dlugos's costs compare to other emergency medicines in El Centro?
Dr. Dlugos's average Medicare payment per service is $106. 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. Dlugos) 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. Data Coverage reflects 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 →