Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Luis Benalcazar, M.D.
Internal Medicine · Elizabeth, NJ
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. Benalcazar 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. Benalcazar
Dr. Luis Benalcazar is an internal medicine specialist in Elizabeth, NJ, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Benalcazar performed 796 Medicare services across 584 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Benalcazar received a total of $14,013 from 59 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1039 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. Benalcazar 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
▲ 796 Medicare services
$14,013 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗796
Medicare services
Bottom 45% in NJ for internal medicine
584
Unique beneficiaries
$103
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | $94 | $151 |
| Chronic care management, first 20 min/month This service covers the first 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional each calendar month to manage chronic conditions. |
65 | $50 | $121 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
59 | $142 | $275 |
| 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. |
56 | $60 | $136 |
| 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. |
50 | $46 | $96 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the blood vessels in the legs or any surgical grafts present. |
39 | $219 | $468 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
33 | $177 | $580 |
| Complete ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts A complete ultrasound exam of the aorta, vena cava, groin vessels, or bypass grafts. This imaging test uses sound waves to visualize these blood vessels. |
30 | $140 | $376 |
| 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. |
27 | $11 | $31 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in the arm or leg. The test uses sound waves to check blood flow and may include compression and other maneuvers. |
25 | $175 | $485 |
| 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. |
25 | $119 | $174 |
| 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. |
24 | $174 | $444 |
| Limited abdominal ultrasound A focused ultrasound examination of the abdomen to evaluate specific organs or areas. This procedure uses sound waves to create images of internal structures. |
23 | $78 | $141 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
22 | $11 | $71 |
| Ultrasound of abdomen and pelvis blood flow An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow through the arteries and veins in the abdomen and pelvis. |
22 | $132 | $344 |
| Initial preventive physical examination, new Medicare beneficiary A comprehensive preventive health visit for new Medicare beneficiaries during their first 12 months of enrollment. The service is conducted as a face-to-face visit and is limited to preventive care. |
15 | $178 | $182 |
| 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. |
12 | $95 | $237 |
| Complete pelvic ultrasound An imaging test using sound waves to create pictures of the organs and structures within the pelvis. |
12 | $96 | $160 |
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.
7.9% high complexity
23.1% medium
69.0% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$14,013
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,002/year across 7 years
Top 5% in NJ for internal medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
59
Companies
1,039
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
$13,835 (98.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$178 (1.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$868
2023
$1,869
2022
$2,036
2021
$1,751
2020
$981
2019
$3,184
2018
$3,324
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$254
ABBVIE INC.
$184
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$125
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$46
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$43
PFIZER INC.
$34
Exact Sciences Corporation
$27
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$23
Ardelyx, Inc.
$21
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$19
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$17
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$17
Amgen Inc.
$16
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$14
Novo Nordisk Inc
$14
Top 3 companies account for 64.9% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$1,718
Novo Nordisk Inc
$1,172
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$1,070
Amgen Inc.
$840
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$782
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$655
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$649
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$617
Lilly USA, LLC
$596
AbbVie Inc.
$568
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$527
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$421
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$412
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$392
ABBVIE INC.
$389
Allergan Inc.
$364
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$296
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$241
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$241
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$229
PFIZER INC.
$221
Mannkind Corporation
$219
Abbott Laboratories
$102
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$82
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$81
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$80
Allergan, Inc.
$78
Exact Sciences Corporation
$77
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$70
Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
$64
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$58
Radius Health, Inc.
$53
Eisai Inc.
$46
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$44
Genentech USA, Inc.
$43
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$43
OptiNose US, Inc.
$42
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$40
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$40
Dexcom, Inc.
$33
Biogen, Inc.
$30
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$29
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$27
Ardelyx, Inc.
$21
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$18
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$17
NESTLE HEALTHCARE NUTRITION INC.
$16
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$15
Althera Pharmaceuticals LLC
$15
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$14
Aytu BioScience, Inc
$14
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$14
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$13
Becton, Dickinson and Company
$13
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$12
Optinose US, Inc.
$11
West-Ward Pharmaceuticals
$11
AbbVie, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 28.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(8874) inCourage · ADUHELM · AFREZZA · AIRSUPRA · AJOVY · AMITIZA · ANORO · ANORO ELLIPTA · Aimovig · Amitiza · BASAGLAR · BD Ultra-Fine · BELSOMRA · BREO · BREZTRI · BREZTRI AEROSPHERE · BRILINTA · BYSTOLIC · Bidil · CHANTIX · COLOGUARD DNA CAPTURE REAGENTS · CREON · CYCLOSET · Cologuard Collection Kit · Dayvigo · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · Dexilant · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · EVENITY · Edarbi · FARXIGA · FASENRA · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · GEMTESA · GVOKE HYPOPEN · IBSRELA · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · KRYSTEXXA · Kerendia · Kloxxado · LATUDA · LEQVIO · LINZESS · LYRICA · Leqembi · Linzess · Livalo · MOTEGRITY · MOUNJARO · MYRBETRIQ · Minimed 670G System · Mitigare · Movantik · NEXLETOL · NURTEC ODT · Natesto · OFEV · Otezla · Ozempic · PENNSAID · PRADAXA · PRALUENT · Prolia · QULIPTA · REXULTI · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Roszet · Rybelsus · SEGLENTIS · SHINGRIX · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SPIRIVA RESPIMAT · STEGLATRO · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · SYMBICORT · Saxenda · TOUJEO · TRADJENTA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TRULANCE · TRULICITY · Tresiba · Trintellix · Trulance · Tymlos · UBRELVY · VERQUVO · VESICARE · VIBERZI · VIIBRYD · VRAYLAR · Vascepa · Veozah · Victoza · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · Xhance · Xofluza · Yupelri · ZENPEP · ZTLido
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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 5% for internal medicine in NJ.
Geographic Context
Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
10,096
Per 100K population
1763.3
County median income
$100,117
Nearest hospital
NEWARK BETH ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTER
2.7 mi
2.7 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. Benalcazar is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 5% of NJ peers, 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. Benalcazar experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Benalcazar performed 257 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Benalcazar receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Benalcazar received a total of $14,013 from 59 companies across 1,039 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. Benalcazar's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in Elizabeth?
Dr. Benalcazar's average Medicare payment per service is $103. 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. Benalcazar) 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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