Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Margarita Garces, M.D.
Rheumatology · South Miami, FL
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
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. Garces 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. Garces
Dr. Margarita Garces is a rheumatology specialist in South Miami, FL, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Garces performed 38,113 Medicare services across 1,258 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Garces received a total of $26,967 from 67 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1475 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. 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. Garces is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 39% volume in FL
$26,967 industry payments
Florida License Status
FL DOH · MQA1
Active license
None
Board action on record
0
Recent admin complaints
| Profession | License # | Status | Expires | Board Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Doctor | 93958 | Clear | January 31, 2028 | — |
Data from Florida Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance.
License records are public under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
Verify directly on FL DOH →
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗38,113
Medicare services
Top 39% in FL for rheumatology
1,258
Unique beneficiaries
$13
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~1,906 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romosozumab injection (Evenity) for osteoporosis | 26,460 | $8 | $10 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 8,100 | $18 | $35 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
1,505 | $1 | $5 |
| 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. |
656 | $99 | $270 |
| Non-hormonal chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy medication via injection into the skin or muscle tissue. |
289 | $57 | $189 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
186 | $64 | $238 |
| Zoledronic acid injection, 1 mg An injection of zoledronic acid administered at a dose of 1 mg. |
170 | $7 | $60 |
| Orthovisc intra-articular injection An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative into a joint space to provide lubrication and cushioning. |
119 | $100 | $400 |
| Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg. |
80 | $0 | $5 |
| 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. |
75 | $121 | $415 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
69 | $8 | $20 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
62 | $89 | $274 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
48 | $110 | $345 |
| Trigger point injection, 1-2 muscles A procedure involving the injection of medication into one or two specific muscles to treat trigger points. |
42 | $42 | $155 |
| 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. |
39 | $11 | $64 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
34 | $52 | $270 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
30 | $28 | $73 |
| X-ray of hand, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
30 | $26 | $65 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
28 | $29 | $88 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
21 | $44 | $148 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
19 | $30 | $83 |
| Tendon injection at attachment site A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon where it attaches to bone or muscle. |
18 | $43 | $175 |
| X-ray of both knees, standing An X-ray image of both knees taken while the patient is standing to assess bone alignment and joint space under weight-bearing conditions. |
18 | $32 | $90 |
| Pelvis X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the pelvic area using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
15 | $24 | $80 |
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.
0.2% high complexity
97.3% medium
2.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$26,967
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,852/year across 7 years
Top 17% in FL for rheumatology
67
Companies
1,475
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
$26,967 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$4,662
2023
$4,936
2022
$4,327
2021
$3,614
2020
$2,327
2019
$3,522
2018
$3,579
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Amgen Inc.
$4,213
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$2,999
UCB, Inc.
$2,440
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$2,060
ABBVIE INC.
$1,702
Lilly USA, LLC
$1,402
PFIZER INC.
$1,389
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$1,145
Radius Health, Inc.
$870
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$850
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$716
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$591
AbbVie Inc.
$563
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$544
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$477
AbbVie, Inc.
$452
ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$317
GENZYME CORPORATION
$305
Genentech USA, Inc.
$247
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$242
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$234
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$221
Celgene Corporation
$212
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$197
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$195
Alvogen Inc
$190
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$179
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$150
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$137
Mallinckrodt LLC
$129
PBG PUERTO RICO LLC
$112
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$106
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$97
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$87
Pacira Therapeutics, Inc.
$82
Sobi, Inc
$82
MEDAC PHARMA, INC.
$70
Abbott Laboratories
$69
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$69
FIDIA PHARMA USA INC.
$67
Sandoz Inc.
$53
MEDEXUS PHARMA, INC.
$52
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$52
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$50
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$46
SOBI, INC
$40
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$39
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$39
Bioventus LLC
$38
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$33
Egalet US Inc
$30
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$29
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$25
United Therapeutics Corporation
$22
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$22
West-Ward Pharmaceuticals
$19
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$18
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$17
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$17
Organon Llc
$17
ASCEND Therapeutics US, LLC
$16
Exeltis, USA Inc.
$16
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$16
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$14
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$13
ASSERTIO THERAPEUTICS, Inc.
$13
Organon LLC
$11
Top 3 companies account for 35.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · AMJEVITA · AVSOLA · Actemra · Adempas · Arcalyst · BENLYSTA · BINOSTO · Bimzelx · COSENTYX · Cambia · Cimzia · Crysvita · Durolane · EUFLEXXA · EVENITY · EVUSHELD · Enbrel · FORTEO · GELSYN 3 · HADLIMA · HUMIRA · HYALGAN · HYRIMOZ · Humira · IDACIO · ILARIS · INFLECTRA · Iovera · KEVZARA · KINERET · KRYSTEXXA · Kineret · LICART · LINZESS · LUPKYNIS · LYRICA · MONOVISC · Mitigare · NUCALA · NuDyn · OFEV · OLUMIANT · OPSUMIT · OPSUMIT MACITENTAN · ORENCIA · ORENITRAM · ORTHOVISC · Otezla · PEAK · PROCLAIM · PURIFIED CORTROPHIN GEL · Prolia · QMIIZ ODT · RAYOS · REMICADE · RENFLEXIS · RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS DISEASE · RINVOQ · Rasuvo · Rinvoq · Rituxan · SAPHNELO · SIMPONI ARIA · SKYRIZI · SOVUNA · SPRIX · STELARA · STRENSIQ · SYNVISC-ONE · Strensiq · TALTZ · TAVNEOS · TERIPARATIDE · TREMFYA · TRILURON · Tavneos · Tirosint · Truxima · Tymlos · UPTRAVI · Uloric · XELJANZ · XIAFLEX · ZTLido · Zilretta
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $71 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Rheumatologists within 10 mi
67
Per 100K population
2.5
County median income
$68,694
Nearest hospital
SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Garces is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 17% of FL peers, with 20 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Garces experienced with romosozumab injection (evenity) for osteoporosis?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Garces performed 26,460 romosozumab injection (evenity) for osteoporosis 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. Garces receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Garces received a total of $26,967 from 67 companies across 1,475 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. Garces's costs compare to other rheumatologists in South Miami?
Dr. Garces's average Medicare payment per service is $13. 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. Garces) 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 →
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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. The Transparency Score measures 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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