Dr. Bruce Ragsdale, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Ragsdale
Dr. Bruce Ragsdale is a dermatopathology physician in San Luis Obispo, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Ragsdale performed 3,067 Medicare services across 2,319 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Ragsdale received a total of $1,588 from 11 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 14 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in dermatopathology (pathology) physician. 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. Ragsdale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This intermediate complexity procedure involves specialized techniques to identify abnormalities in the tissue. |
2,403 | $50 | $132 |
| Tissue staining for diagnosis, initial A laboratory test where special stains are applied to tissue slides to help examine the cells and identify specific characteristics. |
169 | $80 | $223 |
| Tissue staining for diagnosis, additional An extra laboratory procedure to apply special stains to tissue slides for detailed examination. |
161 | $73 | $211 |
| Pathology tissue examination, moderate complexity A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to identify abnormalities. This specific level indicates a moderate degree of complexity in the analysis. |
96 | $33 | $85 |
| Surgical pathology consultation on referred slides A pathologist reviews and reports on tissue slides that were prepared at another facility. This service provides a second opinion or expert analysis of the existing samples. |
82 | $80 | $216 |
| Special stain test for organisms A laboratory test using special stains on tissue slides to identify microorganisms. The process includes the technical preparation of the slides and a professional interpretation of the results. |
76 | $92 | $244 |
| Surgical pathology consultation with slide preparation A specialist reviews tissue samples sent by another provider, preparing necessary slides for examination. The specialist then provides a diagnostic report based on this analysis. |
36 | $93 | $252 |
| Tissue preparation to remove calcium A laboratory procedure that removes calcium from a tissue sample to prepare it for microscopic examination. |
28 | $17 | $48 |
| Manual microscopic genetic analysis of tumor A laboratory test that uses a microscope to manually examine tumor tissue for genetic changes. |
16 | $91 | $274 |
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 ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
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. Ragsdale is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 11% of CA peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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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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