Dr. Oscar Benavides, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Benavides
Dr. Oscar Benavides is a family medicine specialist in Laredo, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Benavides performed 1,642 Medicare services across 441 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Benavides received a total of $5,686 from 27 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 268 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. Benavides 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prolonged office E/M service, first 15 minutes This code is used for additional time spent by a physician beyond the maximum required time of a primary office or outpatient evaluation and management service. It is billed in 15-minute increments based on total time spent on the date of the primary service. |
669 | $24 | $125 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
446 | $127 | $310 |
| 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. |
116 | $63 | $178 |
| 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. |
107 | $86 | $232 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 91 | $6 | $75 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
66 | $47 | $157 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
35 | $85 | $180 |
| Annual alcohol misuse screening, 5 to 15 minutes | 28 | $17 | $38 |
| 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. |
20 | $65 | $157 |
| Annual depression screening | 20 | $18 | $39 |
| 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. |
15 | $10 | $43 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
15 | $30 | $56 |
| Quadrivalent influenza vaccine, cell-culture derived A flu shot containing four strains of influenza virus, produced using cell culture technology rather than eggs. This formulation is free from preservatives and antibiotics. |
14 | $33 | $100 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
0.0 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. Benavides is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 11% of TX peers, 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
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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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