Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Ramakrishna Thokala, MD

Internal Medicine · Midland, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
3302 W GOLF COURSE RD STE 100, Midland, TX 79703
4325222304
In practice since 2009 (16 years)
NPI: 1295969699 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Thokala 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. Thokala

Dr. Ramakrishna Thokala is an internal medicine specialist in Midland, TX, with 16 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Thokala performed 1,492 Medicare services across 678 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Thokala received a total of $1,237 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 46 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in internal 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. Thokala 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.

✓ 16 years in practice ▲ Top 24% volume in TX $1,237 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,492
Medicare services
Top 24% in TX for internal medicine
678
Unique beneficiaries
$137
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~93 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
Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity 476 $92 $290
Dialysis services, 4 or more physician visits per month (20 years or older) 323 $272 $882
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 255 $84 $320
Initial hospital admission, high complexity 139 $127 $442
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity 139 $62 $196
Home dialysis services per month (20 years or older) 44 $212 $732
Dialysis services, 2-3 physician visits per month (20 years or older) 39 $228 $732
Hemodialysis, single evaluation 29 $53 $178
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 26 $65 $227
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 22 $144 $551
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 ↗
$1,237
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $177/year across 7 years
Top 37% in TX for internal medicine
14
Companies
46
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
$1,230 (99.5%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$6 (0.5%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$137
2023
$94
2022
$118
2021
$148
2020
$58
2019
$459
2018
$224

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$380
AKEBIA THERAPEUTICS INC
$139
Amgen Inc.
$127
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
$124
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$92
Vifor Pharma, Inc.
$89
Fresenius USA Marketing, Inc.
$86
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$48
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$46
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$45
GENZYME CORPORATION
$20
Baxter Healthcare
$20
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$15
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$6
Top 3 companies account for 52.2% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AURYXIA · Auryxia · CABLIVI · FARXIGA · JARDIANCE · JYNARQUE · LOKELMA · LUPKYNIS · Parsabiv · Renal - PD · SAMSCA · SOLIRIS · THYMOGLOBULIN · Velphoro · Veltassa
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $83 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for an internal medicine specialist in Midland?
Compare internal medicine physicians in the Midland area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
110
Per 100K population
64.1
County median income
$93,984
Nearest hospital
MIDLAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
3.1 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. Thokala is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 24% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 16 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. Thokala experienced with hospital follow-up visit, high complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Thokala performed 476 hospital follow-up visit, high complexity 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. Thokala receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Thokala received a total of $1,237 from 14 companies across 46 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. Thokala's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in Midland?
Dr. Thokala's average Medicare payment per service is $137. 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. Thokala) 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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →