Medicare Enrolled
Kara Hilmes, FNP
Physician Assistant · San Angelo, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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 Hilmes 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 Hilmes
Kara Hilmes is a physician assistant in San Angelo, TX, with 14 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Hilmes performed 2,900 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Hilmes received a total of $1,864 from 3 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 28 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Hilmes is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 14 years of NPI registration
▲ Top 3% volume in TX
$1,864 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗2,900
Medicare services
Top 3% in TX for physician assistant
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$48
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 1,140 | $18 | $33 |
| 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. |
447 | $76 | $217 |
| 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. |
196 | $48 | $146 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
127 | $9 | $41 |
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
100 | $40 | $406 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
100 | $162 | $698 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
93 | $27 | $195 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
65 | $22 | $622 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 46 | $162 | $1,299 |
| Spinal drug pump reprogramming and refill A physician electronically adjusts the settings of a spinal drug infusion pump and refills its medication reservoir. |
46 | $56 | $364 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
44 | $79 | $1,724 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
40 | $68 | $808 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
39 | $75 | $1,102 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
39 | $17 | $17 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
34 | $62 | $63 |
| Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with partial disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse the lower spine bones by accessing the area through the abdomen and partially removing a spinal disc. |
30 | $160 | $1,306 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
30 | $85 | $268 |
| Placement of stabilizing device to back of 1 spine bone in neck A procedure involving the placement of a stabilizing device on the back of a single vertebra in the neck. |
28 | $78 | $1,186 |
| Fusion of upper spine bone with removal of disc and release of spinal cord or nerve, each additional disc | 27 | $41 | $296 |
| Spinal fusion of neck, posterior approach A surgical procedure to join two or more vertebrae in the cervical spine using a back approach to stabilize the neck. |
27 | $119 | $994 |
| 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. |
26 | $9 | $50 |
| Spinal fusion with disc removal and nerve release, 1 disc This surgery connects two or more vertebrae in the upper spine to stabilize the area. It involves removing a damaged disc and relieving pressure on the spinal cord or nerve. |
23 | $174 | $1,264 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
21 | $8 | $8 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
21 | $23 | $76 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
19 | $129 | $884 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
19 | $72 | $486 |
| 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. |
18 | $22 | $83 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
15 | $107 | $547 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 4-7 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of the spine across four to seven bone segments. |
14 | $78 | $1,199 |
| Bone healing electrical stimulation device placement A device is surgically placed to deliver electrical stimulation to promote bone healing. |
13 | $54 | $220 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment Surgical removal of part of the spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves in one segment. |
13 | $67 | $1,356 |
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
11.9% high complexity
49.9% medium
38.2% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$1,864
Total received (2021-2024)
Avg $466/year across 4 years
Top 18% in TX for physician assistant
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
3
Companies
28
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,582
2023
$90
2022
$123
2021
$69
Payments by company (2024)
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,452
Abbott Laboratories
$110
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$20
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2021-2024) ›
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,452
Abbott Laboratories
$392
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$20
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Exparel · OCTRODE · Octrode SCS Leads · PERCEPT PC BRAINSENSE · PROCLAIM · Proclaim IPG · SENSIGHT
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Geographic Context
Physician assistants in nearby ZIP areas
33
County median income
$66,254
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
SHANNON MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | NPPES snapshot; verify current record |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | PECOS snapshot |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not included | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Hilmes is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in TX).
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hilmes experienced with denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Hilmes performed 1,140 denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva) services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Hilmes receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Hilmes received a total of $1,864 from 3 companies across 28 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Hilmes's costs compare to other physician assistants in San Angelo?
Hilmes's average Medicare payment per service is $48. 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 Hilmes) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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. Data Coverage reflects 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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