Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Ricardo Taboada, M.D.

Pain Medicine · Corpus Christi, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
7101 WILLIAMS DR, Corpus Christi, TX 78412
3618541910
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1306038674 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Taboada 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 →
Are you Dr. Taboada? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Taboada

Dr. Ricardo Taboada is a pain medicine specialist in Corpus Christi, TX, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Taboada performed 919 Medicare services across 612 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Taboada received a total of $27,821 from 62 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 761 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain 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. Taboada 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.

✓ 18 years in practice ▲ 919 Medicare services $27,821 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
919
Medicare services
Bottom 43% in TX for pain medicine
612
Unique beneficiaries
$71
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~51 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 (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.
188 $72 $149
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
149 $1 $50
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.
98 $101 $190
Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based)
A contrast agent containing 300-399 mg/ml of iodine used to enhance imaging studies. It is administered per milliliter to improve the visibility of internal structures.
98 $0 $25
Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg 69 $6 $25
Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance
A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement.
61 $220 $800
Drug screening test
A laboratory test that uses a chemistry analyzer to detect the presence of drugs in a sample.
46 $61 $175
Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level
An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement.
30 $197 $1,120
Dexamethasone injection (steroid)
An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram.
27 $0 $30
Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance
An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated.
26 $101 $923
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.
21 $83 $357
Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance
This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection.
20 $177 $1,296
Trigger point injection, 3 or more muscles
Injection of medication into three or more specific muscle trigger points to relieve pain.
19 $35 $480
Spinal injection with imaging guidance
A procedure where medication is injected into the middle or upper part of the spinal canal. Imaging technology is used to guide the needle to the correct location.
19 $231 $800
Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance
An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement.
18 $240 $1,100
Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg
An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication.
18 $9 $35
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 12 $173 $400
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.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$27,821
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,974/year across 7 years
Top 8% in TX for pain medicine
62
Companies
761
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
$14,154 (50.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$13,668 (49.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,905
2023
$1,792
2022
$1,409
2021
$2,468
2020
$1,097
2019
$3,766
2018
$15,385

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Assertio Therapeutics, Inc.
$12,641
Boston Scientific Corporation
$3,528
Abbott Laboratories
$1,863
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$971
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$924
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$771
ASSERTIO THERAPEUTICS, Inc.
$482
PFIZER INC.
$455
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$414
Allergan Inc.
$406
Nevro Corp.
$341
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$339
AbbVie Inc.
$311
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$286
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$286
US WorldMeds, LLC
$263
ABBVIE INC.
$225
Medtronic, Inc.
$223
Horizon Pharma plc
$207
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$205
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc.
$188
Amgen Inc.
$176
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$145
Stratus Medical, LLC
$144
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$142
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$140
Lilly USA, LLC
$134
Sentynl Therapeutics, Inc.
$130
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$127
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$110
Allergan, Inc.
$110
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$96
Purdue Pharma L.P.
$88
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$86
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$79
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$65
Egalet US Inc
$60
BIODELIVERY SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
$55
PAINTEQ LLC
$44
Kaleo, Inc.
$41
Saluda Medical Americas, Inc.
$40
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$38
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$36
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$35
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$35
Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
$34
Shionogi Inc
$23
Valinor Pharma, LLC
$23
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$23
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$23
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$23
VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INCORPORATED
$23
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$23
INSYS Therapeutics Inc
$21
Avanos Medical
$20
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$18
Bioventus LLC
$17
GRT US Holding, Inc.
$12
Almatica Pharma LLC
$12
Zyla Life Sciences
$12
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 64.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIMOVIG · Aimovig · Amitiza · Axium INS DRG IPG · Axium Sheath Braided DRG · BELBUCA · BOTOX · BOTOX THERAPEUTIC · BUNAVAIL · BUNAVAIL 2.1 mg 30-count box · Belbuca · COMIRNATY · COOLIEF* COOLED RADIOFREQUENCY · Cambia · DUEXIS · Durolane · Dysport · ELYXYB - celecoxib · EMGALITY · ETERNA · EVZIO · Edarbyclor · Evoke SCS · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GRALISE · General - Pain Management · Gralise · Horizant · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · IOVERA SYSTEM · Iovera System · LICART · LYRICA · Levorphanol · Levorphanol Tartrate · Lucemyra/Lofexidine · MOVANTIK · Morphabond ER · Movantik · NT1100 NT2000iX Simplicity · NURTEC ODT · Nalu Neurostimulation System · Nimbus · Nucynta · ONZETRA Xsail · PAINTEQ · PENNSAID · PRIMARY CARE - DISEASE STATE · PROCLAIM · Prialt · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · QULIPTA · QUTENZA · Qutenza · RELISTOR · RELISTOR ORAL · RESTORE · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SPRINT PNS System · SPRIX · SUBSYS · SUPERION · SYMJEPI · SYMPROIC · SYNVISC-ONE · Senza · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · Symproic · Trintellix · UBRELVY · VIMOVO · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XTAMPZA · XTAMPZAER · Xeomin · ZOHYDRO ER · ZTLido · ZTLido 30 POUCH in 1 CARTON 1 PATCH in 1 POUCH · Zilretta · Zipsor
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 (51%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 8% for pain medicine in TX.

Equivalent to $3,027 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a pain medicine specialist in Corpus Christi?
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Geographic Context

Pain medicines within 10 mi
6
Per 100K population
1.7
County median income
$66,021
Nearest hospital
CORPUS CHRISTI MEDICAL CENTER,THE
3.0 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. Taboada is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 8% of TX peers, with 18 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. Taboada experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Taboada performed 188 office visit, established patient (20-29 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. Taboada receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Taboada received a total of $27,821 from 62 companies across 761 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. Taboada's costs compare to other pain medicines in Corpus Christi?
Dr. Taboada's average Medicare payment per service is $71. 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. Taboada) 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 →
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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →