Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Claudia Hooten, M.D.

Retina Specialist (Ophthalmology) Physician · El Paso, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
1700 CURIE DR STE 3800, El Paso, TX 79902
9155323912
In practice since 2011 (14 years)
NPI: 1629360458 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. Hooten 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. Hooten? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Hooten

Dr. Claudia Hooten is a retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician in El Paso, TX, with 14 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hooten performed 21,304 Medicare services across 4,423 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hooten received a total of $13,878 from 18 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 78 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Hooten 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.

✓ 14 years in practice▲ Top 14% volume in TX$ $13,878 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
21,304
Medicare services
Top 14% in TX for retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician
4,423
Unique beneficiaries
$124
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~1,522 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Eye injection (Vabysmo/faricimab)7,740$29$125
Retinal imaging (OCT scan)2,705$34$450
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient2,692$100$366
Aflibercept eye injection (Eylea)2,028$687$2,500
Extended exam of the back part of the eye with optic nerve drawing1,937$13$115
Eye injection for retinal disease1,411$104$613
Injection, ranibizumab, 0.1 mg1,245$185$1,000
Injection, ranibizumab-eqrn (cimerli), biosimilar, 0.1 mg374$215$987
Extended exam of the back part of the eye with retinal drawing372$20$125
New patient office visit (45-59 min)236$127$470
Injection, dexamethasone, intravitreal implant, 0.1 mg133$144$429
Compounded drug, not otherwise classified103$80$796
Exam of retinal blood vessels using a special camera after injection of a dye87$114$373
2d ultrasound scan of eye tissue and structures50$40$263
Destruction of leaking blood vessels of retina using laser45$256$2,844
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient37$108$431
Eye exam, established patient, focused29$79$259
Removal of eye fluid (vitreous) between lens and retina21$721$2,513
Photocoagulation treatment to prevent detachment of retina20$204$1,224
Unclassified drugs16$2,211$6,938
Repair of detached retina with drainage and removal of eye fluid between lens and retina12$1,001$3,782
Removal of membrane of retina11$845$3,189
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 ↗
$13,878
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,983/year across 7 years
Top 26% in TX for retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician
18
Companies
78
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$11,766 (84.8%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,112 (15.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$10,568
2023
$2,083
2022
$541
2021
$99
2020
$17
2019
$302
2018
$268

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$9,455
Genentech USA, Inc.
$2,663
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$338
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$305
Alcon Vision LLC
$266
Genentech, Inc.
$150
AbbVie, Inc.
$115
Sight Sciences, Inc.
$104
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
$96
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$89
Dutch Ophthalmic, USA
$88
Bausch & Lomb Americas Inc.
$53
Alimera Sciences, Inc.
$43
Bausch & Lomb, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$32
Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$26
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$18
Allergan Inc.
$18
Allergan, Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 89.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
COMBIGAN · Clareon · Constellation · DURYSTA · EVA · EYLEA · EYLEA AFLIBERCEPT INJECTION · EYLEA HD · Humira · ILUVIEN · IMCIVREE · Izervay · LOTEMAX GEL · Lucentis · OMNI SURGICAL SYSTEM · OZURDEX · SUSVIMO · Susvimo · Syfovre · Tecnis Multifocal Family of 1-piece IOLS · VABYSMO · VYZULTA · Vabysmo · XIPERE · YUTIQ · combined machine
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 →

The majority of payments (85%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.

Equivalent to $65 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a retina specialist (ophthalmology) physician in El Paso?
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Geographic Context

Retina Specialist (Ophthalmology) Physicians within 10 mi
3
Per 100K population
0.3
County median income
$58,859
Nearest hospital
THE HOSPITALS OF PROVIDENCE - MEMORIAL CAMPUS
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/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. Hooten is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 14% in TX), and consulting-driven industry engagement.

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. Hooten experienced with eye injection (vabysmo/faricimab)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hooten performed 7,740 eye injection (vabysmo/faricimab) 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. Hooten receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hooten received a total of $13,878 from 18 companies across 78 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. Hooten's costs compare to other retina specialist (ophthalmology) physicians in El Paso?
Dr. Hooten's average Medicare payment per service is $124. 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. Hooten) 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 →