Dr. Ricardo Avena, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Avena
Dr. Ricardo Avena is a surgery of the hand specialist in Fresno, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Avena performed 443 Medicare services across 347 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Avena received a total of $2,328 from 6 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 9 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery of the hand. 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. Avena 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
128 | $98 | $206 |
| 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. |
84 | $132 | $314 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
43 | $34 | $84 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
41 | $5 | $24 |
| X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
28 | $32 | $69 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
25 | $34 | $113 |
| X-ray of hand, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
24 | $26 | $66 |
| Imaging guidance for procedure, 60 minutes or less Use of imaging technology to guide a medical procedure. This service lasts 60 minutes or less. |
22 | $12 | $53 |
| Removal of deep implant from bone A surgical procedure to extract a deep implant that is embedded within the bone. |
21 | $258 | $1,228 |
| Hand nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand. |
15 | $329 | $1,349 |
| Wrist X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the wrist using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
12 | $26 | $65 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (64%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in surgery of the hand and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
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. Avena is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement, 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. Avena experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Does Dr. Avena receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Avena's costs compare to other surgery of the hands in Fresno?
What does Data Coverage mean?
Is this data up to date?
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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.
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