Dr. Elvin Garcia, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Garcia
Dr. Elvin Garcia is a rheumatology in McAllen, TX, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Garcia performed 95,355 Medicare services across 6,441 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Garcia received a total of $95,918 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 156 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. 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. Garcia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tocilizumab injection (Actemra) | 29,940 | $5 | $6 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) | 25,173 | $0 | $0 |
| Injection, rituximab, 10 mg | 7,411 | $63 | $100 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 6,541 | $18 | $25 |
| Infliximab infusion (Remicade) | 6,520 | $26 | $121 |
| Abatacept infusion (Orencia) | 6,400 | $34 | $60 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 1,240 | $86 | $145 |
| Administration of chemotherapy into vein, each additional hour | 953 | $21 | $55 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) | 918 | $117 | $180 |
| Injection, ketorolac tromethamine, per 15 mg | 813 | $0 | $5 |
| Red blood cell sedimentation rate, to detect inflammation, non-automated | 761 | $4 | $10 |
| C-reactive protein test (inflammation marker) | 747 | $5 | $15 |
| Administration of chemotherapy into vein, 1 hour or less | 708 | $95 | $250 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle | 696 | $10 | $30 |
| Injection, diphenhydramine hcl, up to 50 mg | 677 | $1 | $2 |
| Injection of additional new drug or substance into vein | 672 | $11 | $20 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential | 604 | $8 | $25 |
| Joint injection, major joint | 411 | $57 | $114 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 411 | $6 | $10 |
| Hyaluronan or derivative, hyalgan, supartz or visco-3, for intra-articular injection, per dose | 362 | $57 | $105 |
| Administration of non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy under skin or into muscle | 357 | $52 | $90 |
| Injection of trigger points, 3 or more muscles | 255 | $42 | $90 |
| Rheumatoid factor analysis | 254 | $6 | $15 |
| X-ray of knee, 1-2 views | 223 | $25 | $50 |
| X-ray of hand, 2 views | 210 | $23 | $50 |
| Urinalysis, manual | 191 | $3 | $15 |
| X-ray of wrist, 2 views | 178 | $25 | $50 |
| Injection of trigger points, 1-2 muscles | 141 | $36 | $80 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) | 139 | $36 | $100 |
| X-ray of foot, 2 views | 137 | $21 | $50 |
| X-ray of ankle, 2 views | 123 | $25 | $50 |
| Measurement of antibody for assessment of autoimmune disorder, any method | 109 | $18 | $35 |
| Screening test for autoimmune disorder | 108 | $12 | $25 |
| Measurement of dna antibody, native or double stranded | 108 | $13 | $30 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views | 107 | $27 | $50 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 99 | $107 | $250 |
| Vitamin D level test | 97 | $29 | $50 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 95 | $67 | $126 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views | 91 | $26 | $50 |
| Chest X-ray, 2 views | 82 | $24 | $50 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views | 63 | $29 | $50 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views | 63 | $25 | $50 |
| X-ray of both hips, 2 views | 63 | $30 | $100 |
| X-ray of elbow, minimum of 3 views | 46 | $25 | $50 |
| Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from medium joint | 22 | $34 | $80 |
| Hip X-ray, 2-3 views | 19 | $36 | $50 |
| Screening test for strep antibody (strep throat) | 17 | $6 | $15 |
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 rheumatology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for rheumatology 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. Garcia is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% in TX), and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 7%), with 19 years of practice experience.
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. Garcia experienced with tocilizumab injection (actemra)?
Does Dr. Garcia receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Garcia's costs compare to other rheumatologys in McAllen?
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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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