Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Elsa Canales, M.D.
Gastroenterology · Laredo, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Canales 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. Canales
Dr. Elsa Canales is a gastroenterology specialist in Laredo, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Canales performed 3,980 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Canales received a total of $3,391 from 32 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 193 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Canales 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.
✓ 19 years of NPI registration
▲ Top 2% volume in TX
$3,391 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗3,980
Medicare services
Top 2% in TX for gastroenterology
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$65
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This intermediate complexity procedure involves specialized techniques to identify abnormalities in the tissue. |
1,007 | $24 | $66 |
| 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. |
672 | $62 | $100 |
| Special stain test for organisms A laboratory test using special stains on tissue slides to identify microorganisms. The process includes the technical preparation of the slides and a professional interpretation of the results. |
377 | $63 | $106 |
| Special tissue stain and interpretation A laboratory test using special stains to examine tissue samples, including the pathologist's review and written report of the findings. |
332 | $53 | $90 |
| 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. |
328 | $84 | $145 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
298 | $61 | $97 |
| 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. |
275 | $107 | $200 |
| 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. |
153 | $204 | $1,028 |
| 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. |
118 | $74 | $530 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
118 | $99 | $205 |
| Moderate sedation during GI endoscopy Sedation services provided by the physician performing a gastrointestinal endoscopic procedure. This requires an independent trained observer to assist in monitoring the patient. |
88 | $4 | $50 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
69 | $132 | $263 |
| 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. |
34 | $72 | $754 |
| External hemorrhoid removal by rubber banding A procedure to remove external hemorrhoids using rubber bands to cut off blood supply. The affected tissue is tied off and eventually falls off. |
31 | $219 | $725 |
| Colonoscopy A diagnostic exam of the large bowel using a flexible endoscope to visualize the interior of the colon. |
29 | $100 | $674 |
| Liver stiffness measurement A non-invasive test that uses ultrasound or similar technology to measure the stiffness of liver tissue. This measurement helps assess the degree of liver fibrosis or scarring. |
27 | $21 | $125 |
| Endoscopic insertion of stomach tube A flexible endoscope is used to guide the placement of a tube into the stomach. |
24 | $151 | $787 |
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$3,391
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $484/year across 7 years
Top 48% in TX for gastroenterology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
32
Companies
193
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$867
2023
$434
2022
$450
2021
$415
2020
$249
2019
$638
2018
$339
Payments by company (2024)
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$226
ABBVIE INC.
$190
Medtronic, Inc.
$161
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$68
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
$61
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$48
Ardelyx, Inc.
$33
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$28
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$19
GENZYME CORPORATION
$17
PFIZER INC.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 66.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$423
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$350
ABBVIE INC.
$318
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$232
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$210
AbbVie, Inc.
$202
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$175
Medtronic, Inc.
$161
Micro-tech Endoscopy USA, Inc.
$160
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$157
PFIZER INC.
$141
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$108
AbbVie Inc.
$92
Olympus America Inc.
$75
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$68
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
$61
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$54
Evoke Pharma, Inc.
$44
Celgene Corporation
$44
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$38
NESTLE HEALTHCARE NUTRITION INC.
$38
Shionogi Inc
$35
Ardelyx, Inc.
$33
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$28
Boston Scientific Corporation
$27
AIMMUNE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$19
Novo Nordisk Inc
$18
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$18
GENZYME CORPORATION
$17
Romark Laboratories, LC
$16
Ortho Dermatologics, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$14
Allergan Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 32.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACANYA · ALINIA · APRISO · Amitiza · BlueBoost · CREON · DIFICID · DUPIXENT · ERCP V-System · Epclusa · Forceps · GATTEX · GIMOTI · Hemostasis Clips · Hot Snare · Humira · IBSRELA · INJECTAFER · INTERSTIM · Injection Needle · Injection Needles · Injection needle · Insight and SureClip · LINZESS · Lockado · MAVYRET · Movantik · Mulpleta · OCALIVA · Olympus Hemostasis Devices · Ozempic · REMICADE · RESMETIROM · RESOLUTION CLIP · RINVOQ · STELARA · Snare · TRULANCE · Talicia · VELSIPITY · VIBERZI · VISIGLIDE · XELJANZ · XIFAXAN · XIFIXAN · ZENPEP · ZEPOSIA · lockado
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Geographic Context
Gastroenterologists in nearby ZIP areas
5
County median income
$62,506
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
DOCTORS HOSPITAL OF LAREDO
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | NPPES snapshot; verify current record |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | PECOS snapshot |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not included | 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. Canales is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 2% in TX), with 19 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. Canales experienced with tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Canales performed 1,007 tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. Canales receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Canales received a total of $3,391 from 32 companies across 193 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. Canales's costs compare to other gastroenterologists in Laredo?
Dr. Canales's average Medicare payment per service is $65. 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. Canales) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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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