Dr. Donna Joule, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Joule
Dr. Donna Joule is a family medicine specialist in Mcallen, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Joule performed 601 Medicare services across 583 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Joule received a total of $29,315 from 9 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 13 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Joule 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swallowing function imaging Imaging used to evaluate how well a person can swallow. This procedure visualizes the swallowing process to assess function. |
119 | $48 | $156 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
114 | $17 | $71 |
| Upper GI series with single contrast An X-ray exam of the upper digestive tract using a single contrast agent to visualize the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. |
114 | $54 | $170 |
| X-ray of lower jaw, 1-4 views An X-ray imaging test that produces 1 to 4 images of a portion of the lower jaw to visualize the bone structure. |
101 | $14 | $60 |
| 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. |
80 | $125 | $352 |
| 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. |
40 | $96 | $200 |
| Chest X-ray, 1 view An X-ray image of the chest taken from a single angle. This imaging test is used to visualize the structures within the chest cavity. |
33 | $12 | $58 |
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 ›
The majority of payments (99%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in family medicine and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for family medicine in TX.
Geographic Context
3.7 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. Joule is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 1% 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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