Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Paulina Thanawala, D.O.
Family Medicine · Plano, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
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. Thanawala 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. Thanawala
Dr. Paulina Thanawala is a family medicine specialist in Plano, TX, with 10 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Thanawala performed 9,752 Medicare services across 6,452 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Thanawala received a total of $203 from 5 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 9 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. Thanawala 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.
✓ 10 years in practice
▲ Top 1% volume in TX
$203 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗9,752
Medicare services
Top 1% in TX for family medicine
6,452
Unique beneficiaries
$24
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~975 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
1,741 | $8 | $10 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 1,262 | $18 | $34 |
| 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. |
739 | $78 | $219 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
709 | $10 | $29 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
690 | $8 | $22 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
677 | $13 | $37 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
673 | $16 | $48 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
580 | $10 | $27 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
366 | $124 | $240 |
| Urine microalbumin test A laboratory test that measures the amount of a specific protein called microalbumin in a urine sample. This analysis helps assess kidney function. |
265 | $6 | $13 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
265 | $5 | $15 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
213 | $3 | $9 |
| 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. |
149 | $56 | $150 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
146 | $2 | $7 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
130 | $29 | $75 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
128 | $9 | $25 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) | 109 | $18 | $51 |
| Free T3 thyroid hormone test A blood test that measures the level of free triiodothyronine (T3) hormone in your body. This helps assess how well your thyroid gland is functioning. |
95 | $16 | $47 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
76 | $15 | $42 |
| Folic acid level test A blood test that measures the amount of folic acid in the serum. |
73 | $14 | $41 |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) An intramuscular injection of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It is used to protect against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. |
68 | $282 | $568 |
| Urine culture, bacterial colony count A laboratory test that measures the number of bacteria growing in a urine sample to help identify infections. |
59 | $8 | $24 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
57 | $30 | $59 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
49 | $19 | $51 |
| Iron level test | 43 | $6 | $18 |
| Ferritin level test (iron stores) A blood test that measures the level of ferritin, a protein that stores iron in the body. |
42 | $13 | $38 |
| Iron binding capacity test A blood test that measures the amount of iron in the blood and the blood's ability to bind and transport iron. |
41 | $9 | $24 |
| Bacterial culture, aerobic A laboratory test that grows and identifies bacteria capable of surviving in oxygen. The results help determine the presence of specific aerobic microorganisms. |
37 | $8 | $24 |
| 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. |
37 | $120 | $295 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
37 | $30 | $51 |
| Flu vaccine, quadrivalent A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus to help prevent seasonal influenza infection. |
35 | $76 | $145 |
| Antibiotic sensitivity test A laboratory test that determines which antibiotics, antifungals, or antivirals are effective against a specific microorganism using microdilution or agar dilution methods. |
34 | $8 | $24 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
34 | $9 | $54 |
| Magnesium level test A blood test to measure the amount of magnesium in your body. This helps check for magnesium deficiency or excess. |
20 | $7 | $19 |
| Vaccine administration The process of giving a vaccine to a patient. This code covers the administration service only and does not include the cost of the vaccine itself. |
19 | $9 | $54 |
| Initial preventive physical examination, new Medicare beneficiary A comprehensive preventive health visit for new Medicare beneficiaries during their first 12 months of enrollment. The service is conducted as a face-to-face visit and is limited to preventive care. |
17 | $158 | $340 |
| SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay test A laboratory test using immunoassay techniques to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. |
14 | $35 | $100 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
12 | $8 | $24 |
| Influenza virus detection test A laboratory test that uses an immunoassay technique to detect the presence of the influenza virus through direct visual observation. |
11 | $16 | $33 |
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 2022 ↗$203
Total received (2019-2022)
Avg $68/year across 3 years
Bottom 35% in TX for family medicine
5
Companies
9
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
$203 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2022
$23
2021
$93
2019
$87
Payments by company (2022)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$93
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$63
Abbott Laboratories
$23
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$13
Shire North American Group Inc
$11
Top 3 companies account for 88.2% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BEXSERO · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · JANUVIA · LifeVest · VYVANSE
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 $2 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
1,536
Per 100K population
137.6
County median income
$117,588
Nearest hospital
TEXAS HEALTH PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL PLANO
0.0 mi
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 2022 |
| 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. Thanawala is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement.
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. Thanawala experienced with blood draw (venipuncture)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Thanawala performed 1,741 blood draw (venipuncture) 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. Thanawala receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Thanawala received a total of $203 from 5 companies across 9 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. Thanawala's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Plano?
Dr. Thanawala's average Medicare payment per service is $24. 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. Thanawala) 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.
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