Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Michael Benca, MD

Cardiovascular Disease · San Marcos, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1340 WONDER WORLD DR STE 4301, San Marcos, TX 78666
5123536400
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1588774061 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. Benca 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 →
Are you Dr. Benca? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Benca

Dr. Michael Benca is a cardiovascular disease specialist in San Marcos, TX, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Benca performed 2,642 Medicare services across 2,114 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Benca received a total of $4,004 from 27 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 195 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cardiovascular disease. 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. Benca 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 40% volume in TX $4,004 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
2,642
Medicare services
Top 40% in TX for cardiovascular disease
2,114
Unique beneficiaries
$68
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~139 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
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.
897 $87 $289
Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead
A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report.
456 $10 $54
Echocardiogram, transthoracic
An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function.
297 $122 $687
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.
220 $117 $375
Remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days
Remote evaluation of a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the last check.
138 $15 $53
Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral
An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck.
111 $105 $660
Remote pacemaker monitoring, 90 days
Remote assessment of a pacemaker system, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless devices, performed up to 90 days apart.
109 $21 $68
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity
Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service.
93 $61 $159
Continuous EKG monitoring review, 48-7 days
Review and interpretation of continuous external EKG recordings lasting more than 48 hours up to 7 days.
60 $17 $56
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.
49 $100 $300
EKG interpretation and report
A standard electrocardiogram test that records the heart's electrical activity using at least 12 leads. The service includes a professional interpretation of the results and a written report.
36 $6 $19
Remote evaluation of implantable defibrillator system
Remote assessment of a single, dual, or multiple lead implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the previous evaluation.
30 $25 $140
Nuclear stress test of heart muscle
A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow to the heart muscle at rest and during stress using a special camera.
28 $58 $311
Pacemaker programming, dual lead system
Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings.
23 $37 $186
Continuous external EKG monitoring, 48 hours to 7 days
This procedure involves recording the heart's electrical activity continuously using an external device for a period exceeding 48 hours but not more than 7 days.
21 $9 $32
External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days
Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm.
20 $20 $61
Limited retroperitoneal ultrasound
A focused ultrasound exam of the area behind the abdominal cavity to evaluate specific structures.
16 $19 $96
Initial hospital admission, high complexity
Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
15 $133 $441
2-day continuous ECG with professional review
A two-day continuous electrocardiogram recording that includes a review by a healthcare professional.
12 $14 $62
Continuous external EKG monitoring, 8-15 days
This procedure involves recording heart rhythm continuously using an external EKG device over a period of 8 to 15 days.
11 $9 $32
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.
22.6% high complexity
5.9% medium
71.5% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$4,004
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $572/year across 7 years
Bottom 46% in TX for cardiovascular disease
27
Companies
195
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
$4,004 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$223
2023
$141
2022
$355
2021
$504
2020
$246
2019
$1,205
2018
$1,329

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$864
Abbott Laboratories
$542
Boston Scientific Corporation
$485
Amgen Inc.
$334
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$288
PFIZER INC.
$253
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$183
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$171
Biosense Webster, Inc.
$103
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$100
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$89
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$81
Relypsa, Inc.
$73
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$61
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$57
Allergan Inc.
$52
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$50
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$45
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$42
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$32
BIOTRONIK INC.
$19
Medtronic, Inc.
$16
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$15
Lundbeck LLC
$13
ARALEZ PHARMACEUTICALS US INC.
$13
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$12
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 47.2% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AMPLATZER Occluders · AVEIR · AZURE XT DR MRI SURESCAN · BRILINTA · BYSTOLIC · CHANTIX · CardioMEMS HF System · Carto 3 System · Confirm Rx · Corlanor · Da Vinci Surgical System · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · EVKEEZA · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve · FARXIGA · GALLANT · GENERAL - THERAPIES · GENERAL THERAPIES · General - Therapies · HeartMate · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Dev · JARDIANCE · LATITUDE Communicator Power Supply · LEQVIO · LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor · LifeVest · MULTAQ · Merlin Connectivity and Remote · NEXLETOL · NORTHERA · PRADAXA · PRALUENT · Quadra Assura CRT Defibrillator · Repatha · Reveal LINQ · Rivacor · SAMSCA · SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA · VERQUVO · Vascepa · Veltassa · WATCHMAN · XARELTO · Xience Sierra Coronary Stent · ZIO Patch · ZONTIVITY
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 $152 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a cardiovascular disease specialist in San Marcos?
Compare cardiologists in the San Marcos area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Cardiologists within 10 mi
27
Per 100K population
10.5
County median income
$85,827
Nearest hospital
CHRISTUS SANTA ROSA HOSPITAL-SAN MARCOS
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 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. Benca is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, 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

Is Dr. Benca experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Benca performed 897 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Benca receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Benca received a total of $4,004 from 27 companies across 195 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. Benca's costs compare to other cardiologists in San Marcos?
Dr. Benca's average Medicare payment per service is $68. 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. Benca) 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 →
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 →