Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Ariel Hurtado, MD

Anesthesiology · Los Angeles, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
1225 WILSHIRE BLVD, Los Angeles, CA 90017
2139772121
In practice since 2010 (15 years)
NPI: 1255659181 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. Hurtado 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 →
Are you Dr. Hurtado? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Hurtado

Dr. Ariel Hurtado is an anesthesiology specialist in Los Angeles, CA, with 15 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hurtado performed 8,148 Medicare services across 1,126 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hurtado received a total of $6,788 from 9 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 50 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in anesthesiology. 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. Hurtado 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.

✓ 15 years in practice ▲ Top 1% volume in CA $6,788 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
8,148
Medicare services
Top 1% in CA for anesthesiology
1,126
Unique beneficiaries
$31
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~543 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
Botox injection, per unit
An injection of onabotulinumtoxinA, a medication used to temporarily relax muscles or reduce gland activity. The dose is measured in units, with this code representing a single unit administered.
5,800 $5 $10
Betamethasone steroid injection
An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate.
738 $5 $25
Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes
A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone.
262 $121 $200
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.
190 $82 $145
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)
An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter.
188 $168 $225
Destruction of peripheral nerve or branch 170 $131 $450
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.
126 $118 $175
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
110 $45 $124
Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance
This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection.
86 $167 $477
Ultrasound guidance for needle placement
Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure.
68 $58 $138
Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint
A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals.
65 $461 $700
Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance
A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement.
55 $269 $500
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.
48 $151 $225
New patient office visit (30-44 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range.
44 $105 $185
Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level
An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement.
33 $181 $450
Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance
An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated.
33 $91 $200
Bilateral facial and neck nerve muscle paralysis injection
Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze muscles in the face and neck on both sides.
25 $139 $250
Trigger point injection, 1-2 muscles
A procedure involving the injection of medication into one or two specific muscles to treat trigger points.
22 $51 $110
Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level
An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement.
16 $194 $450
Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging
An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement.
16 $96 $200
Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes
Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older.
15 $10 $300
Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance
An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement.
13 $104 $492
Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement
Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure.
13 $125 $200
Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint
This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint.
12 $259 $400
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 ↗
$6,788
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $1,131/year across 6 years
Top 5% in CA for anesthesiology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
9
Companies
50
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
$4,503 (66.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,373 (20.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$912 (13.4%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$347
2023
$260
2022
$214
2021
$4,889
2020
$957
2019
$120

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Stryker Corporation
$185
PAINTEQ LLC
$119
ABBVIE INC.
$44
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2019-2024) ›
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$5,535
Abbott Laboratories
$532
Stryker Corporation
$185
ABBVIE INC.
$175
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$128
PAINTEQ LLC
$119
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$45
Avanos Medical
$41
Allergan, Inc.
$27
Top 3 companies account for 92.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BOTOX · DSUVIA · IONICRF · MILD DEVICE KIT · ON-Q* PUMP AND ACCESSORIES · PAINTEQ · PROCLAIM · Proclaim DRG IPG · Proclaim IPG · QULIPTA · UBRELVY · mild Device Kit
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 (66%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in anesthesiology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 5% for anesthesiology in CA.

Looking for an anesthesiology specialist in Los Angeles?
Compare anesthesiologists in the Los Angeles area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Anesthesiologists within 10 mi
1,941
Per 100K population
19.7
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
PIH HEALTH GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL
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. Hurtado is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 5% of CA peers, with 15 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. Hurtado experienced with botox injection, per unit?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hurtado performed 5,800 botox injection, per unit 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. Hurtado receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hurtado received a total of $6,788 from 9 companies across 50 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. Hurtado's costs compare to other anesthesiologists in Los Angeles?
Dr. Hurtado's average Medicare payment per service is $31. 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. Hurtado) 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 →