Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Ronnie Smith, M. D.
Internal Medicine · Vidalia, GA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Smith 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. Smith
Dr. Ronnie Smith is an internal medicine specialist in Vidalia, GA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Smith performed 2,688 Medicare services across 1,798 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Smith received a total of $59 from 2 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 3 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in internal medicine. 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. Smith 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 13% volume in GA
$59 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,688
Medicare services
Top 13% in GA for internal medicine
1,798
Unique beneficiaries
$40
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~134 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
278 | $8 | $11 |
| 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. |
257 | $84 | $145 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
138 | $121 | $510 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
131 | $8 | $20 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
125 | $8 | $32 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
118 | $3 | $12 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
100 | $13 | $39 |
| LDL cholesterol level test A blood test that measures the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your blood. LDL is often referred to as "bad" cholesterol. |
100 | $10 | $21 |
| Urine microalbumin test (kidney screening) A laboratory test that measures the amount of microalbumin, a small protein, in a urine sample. This test is used to detect early signs of kidney damage. |
96 | $6 | $69 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
96 | $5 | $24 |
| 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. |
95 | $56 | $97 |
| Cardiac enzyme level (CK-MB) test A blood test that measures the total level of creatine kinase, specifically the cardiac enzyme fraction, to help evaluate heart muscle damage. |
92 | $6 | $20 |
| Liver enzyme (SGPT) level test A blood test that measures the level of the liver enzyme SGPT to assess liver function. |
74 | $5 | $20 |
| Liver enzyme (SGOT) level test A blood test that measures the level of the liver enzyme SGOT to help assess liver health. |
73 | $5 | $14 |
| Glutamyltransferase (GGT) level test A blood test that measures the level of the liver enzyme glutamyltransferase (GGT) to help evaluate liver health. |
64 | $7 | $15 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
63 | $15 | $49 |
| Folic acid level test A blood test that measures the amount of folic acid in the serum. |
60 | $14 | $32 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck soft tissue This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the soft tissues in the head and neck area. It allows for the visualization of structures beneath the skin without using radiation. |
59 | $70 | $175 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
58 | $10 | $26 |
| Colonoscopy with biopsy A procedure to collect tissue samples from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities or disease. |
51 | $77 | $730 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
51 | $123 | $128 |
| Advance care planning consultation, first 30 min A session focused on discussing and documenting future healthcare preferences and goals. This service covers the initial 30 minutes of the planning discussion. |
43 | $79 | $120 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
42 | $16 | $43 |
| Iron level test | 41 | $6 | $20 |
| Complete ultrasound of abdomen A diagnostic imaging test that uses sound waves to create detailed pictures of the organs and structures within the abdomen. |
39 | $82 | $296 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
39 | $137 | $800 |
| Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy A procedure to collect tissue samples from the esophagus, stomach, or upper small intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities. |
36 | $69 | $591 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
35 | $29 | $82 |
| Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination. |
32 | $202 | $1,000 |
| Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening, high risk A colonoscopy performed to screen for colorectal cancer in individuals identified as being at high risk for the disease. |
27 | $177 | $693 |
| 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. |
25 | $65 | $127 |
| Endoscopic balloon dilation of esophagus, stomach, or small bowel, 3.0 cm or more A procedure using a flexible endoscope to insert a balloon into the esophagus, stomach, or upper small bowel and inflate it to widen a narrowed area. |
19 | $167 | $859 |
| 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. |
19 | $118 | $155 |
| Direct bilirubin level test A blood test that measures the amount of direct bilirubin in your body. Direct bilirubin is the form of the waste product processed by the liver. |
18 | $5 | $20 |
| Complete ultrasound of retroperitoneum An ultrasound examination of the structures located behind the abdominal cavity. |
17 | $62 | $196 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
17 | $10 | $27 |
| Magnesium level test A blood test to measure the amount of magnesium in your body. This helps check for magnesium deficiency or excess. |
16 | $7 | $23 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in one arm or leg using compression and other maneuvers to assess blood flow and check for blockages. |
16 | $81 | $200 |
| Thyroxine (T4) level test A blood test that measures the total amount of thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in your body. |
14 | $7 | $20 |
| Thyroid hormone evaluation A blood test to measure the levels of thyroid hormones in the body. This evaluation helps assess how well the thyroid gland is functioning. |
14 | $6 | $20 |
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.
1.5% high complexity
14.2% medium
84.3% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2019 ↗$59
Total received (2019-2019)
Bottom 16% in GA for internal medicine
2
Companies
3
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
$59 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2019
$59
Payments by company (2019)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$35
PFIZER INC.
$24
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2019 payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
CHANTIX · ELIQUIS · HawkOne
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.
Geographic Context
Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
10
Per 100K population
37.1
County median income
$54,130
Nearest hospital
MEMORIAL HEALTH MEADOWS 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 2019 |
| 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. Smith is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 13% in GA), with low-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. Smith experienced with blood draw (venipuncture)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Smith performed 278 blood draw (venipuncture) 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. Smith receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Smith received a total of $59 from 2 companies across 3 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. Smith's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in Vidalia?
Dr. Smith's average Medicare payment per service is $40. 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. Smith) 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. 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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