Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Ralu Hinojos, M.D.
Family Medicine · El Paso, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
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. Hinojos 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. Hinojos?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Hinojos
Dr. Ralu Hinojos is a family medicine specialist in El Paso, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hinojos performed 3,285 Medicare services across 2,046 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hinojos received a total of $2,020 from 31 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 130 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family 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. Hinojos 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 7% volume in TX
$2,020 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,285
Medicare services
Top 7% in TX for family medicine
2,046
Unique beneficiaries
$17
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~173 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. |
304 | $49 | $90 |
| Ceftriaxone antibiotic injection This code represents the administration of ceftriaxone sodium, an antibiotic medication. The charge is calculated for every 250 mg of the drug administered. |
261 | $0 | $10 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
210 | $8 | $10 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
208 | $3 | $10 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
207 | $10 | $30 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
204 | $13 | $30 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
204 | $9 | $20 |
| Total T3 thyroid hormone test A blood test that measures the total amount of triiodothyronine (T3) hormone in your body. T3 is a thyroid hormone that helps regulate metabolism and energy levels. |
204 | $14 | $50 |
| 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. |
203 | $8 | $25 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
201 | $16 | $40 |
| 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. |
184 | $67 | $140 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
142 | $9 | $25 |
| Uric acid level test A blood test that measures the level of uric acid in your body. Uric acid is a waste product formed when the body breaks down purines. |
133 | $4 | $17 |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test A blood test that measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a test tube to detect inflammation in the body. This specific method is performed manually rather than using an automated machine. |
129 | $4 | $20 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
127 | $29 | $50 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
99 | $8 | $20 |
| 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. |
54 | $8 | $30 |
| 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. |
48 | $6 | $10 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
27 | $29 | $30 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
25 | $72 | $90 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
23 | $5 | $10 |
| Vitamin B-12 injection An injection of vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin) with a dose of up to 1000 mcg. |
23 | $1 | $12 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
20 | $19 | $50 |
| Chest X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the chest that captures two different angles to visualize the lungs, heart, and chest wall. |
18 | $21 | $65 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) A test that uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone mineral density in the hip, pelvis, and spine. It helps assess bone strength and risk of fractures. |
16 | $34 | $100 |
| 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. |
11 | $8 | $30 |
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 ↗$2,020
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $289/year across 7 years
Top 26% in TX for family medicine
31
Companies
130
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
$1,990 (98.5%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$30 (1.5%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$171
2023
$141
2022
$140
2021
$437
2020
$242
2019
$369
2018
$521
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Allergan Inc.
$207
Lilly USA, LLC
$170
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$150
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$145
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$119
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$102
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$90
PFIZER INC.
$82
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$82
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$79
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$77
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$72
Radius Health, Inc.
$71
Novo Nordisk Inc
$65
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$61
ABBVIE INC.
$61
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$50
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$49
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$49
Abbott Laboratories
$39
Genentech USA, Inc.
$33
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$19
Allergan, Inc.
$19
AbbVie Inc.
$19
DEXCOM, INC.
$19
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$18
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$18
NESTLE HEALTHCARE NUTRITION INC.
$16
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$15
Amgen Inc.
$14
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 26.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AJOVY · ANORO · ANORO ELLIPTA · Amitiza · BELSOMRA · BYSTOLIC · CHANTIX · COMIRNATY · DEXCOM G6 TRANSMITTER · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · FARXIGA · FREESTYLE LIBRE · FreeStyle Libre blood glucose Flash Monitoring System · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · LINZESS · Linzess · Livalo · MOUNJARO · MYRBETRIQ · NAMZARIC · NURTEC ODT · Ozempic · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · SOLIQUA · TOUJEO · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRULICITY · Trintellix · Tymlos · UBRELVY · VOWST · VRAYLAR · Vascepa · Victoza · XIFAXAN · Xofluza · ZENPEP
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 (98%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $62 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
204
Per 100K population
23.5
County median income
$58,859
Nearest hospital
UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER OF EL PASO
7.7 mi
7.7 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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Hinojos is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 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. Hinojos experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hinojos performed 304 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. Hinojos receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hinojos received a total of $2,020 from 31 companies across 130 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. Hinojos's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in El Paso?
Dr. Hinojos's average Medicare payment per service is $17. 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. Hinojos) 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. 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.
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