Dr. Ralph Morales, DO
What this data tells you about Dr. Morales
Dr. Ralph Morales is a sports medicine physician in Brunswick, GA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Morales performed 7,173 Medicare services across 1,668 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Morales received a total of $3,489 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 53 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in sports medicine (orthopaedic surgery) 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. Morales 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyaluronan intra-articular injection, 1 mg An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative into a joint space. This procedure delivers 1 mg of the substance directly into the affected joint. |
3,200 | $8 | $32 |
| Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min A therapy session using exercises to improve strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility. Each 15-minute unit is billed separately. |
980 | $18 | $49 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
482 | $45 | $135 |
| 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. |
455 | $61 | $152 |
| Neuromuscular re-education therapy, per 15 min A therapy procedure designed to re-educate the functional connection between the brain, nerves, and muscles. It is billed in 15-minute increments. |
369 | $22 | $68 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 367 | $5 | $20 |
| Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min | 354 | $16 | $50 |
| 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. |
192 | $22 | $95 |
| Knee X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
164 | $19 | $96 |
| 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. |
129 | $26 | $120 |
| 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. |
123 | $90 | $211 |
| MRI of arm joint, without contrast An MRI scan uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the arm joint. This specific procedure is performed without the use of a contrast dye. |
64 | $147 | $1,400 |
| 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. |
60 | $72 | $185 |
| Ultrasound therapy, each 15 minutes Application of ultrasound waves to tissue for therapeutic purposes. The procedure is billed in 15-minute increments. |
58 | $8 | $40 |
| Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 30 minutes | 52 | $73 | $165 |
| 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 | $122 | $273 |
| Arthroscopic shoulder debridement A minimally invasive procedure to remove damaged or excess tissue from the shoulder joint using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
23 | $112 | $2,645 |
| Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair A minimally invasive surgery to repair torn shoulder tendons using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
23 | $828 | $4,525 |
| Endoscopic release of biceps tendon A minimally invasive procedure using an endoscope to release the tendon that connects the biceps muscle to the shoulder. |
21 | $347 | $3,915 |
| Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 20 minutes | 15 | $77 | $165 |
| Arthroscopic shoulder surgery for bone shaving and ligament repair A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera to shave part of the shoulder bone and repair a ligament. |
14 | $134 | $1,500 |
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 (39%) 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. Morales is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 10% in GA), with mixed engagement 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. Morales experienced with hyaluronan intra-articular injection, 1 mg?
Does Dr. Morales receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
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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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