Not Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Richard Debehnke, MD
Internal Medicine · West Lake Hills, TX
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 3 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. Debehnke 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. Debehnke
Dr. Richard Debehnke is an internal medicine specialist in West Lake Hills, TX, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Debehnke performed 2,941 Medicare services across 2,436 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Debehnke received a total of $698 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 40 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. Debehnke 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 12% volume in TX
$698 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,941
Medicare services
Top 12% in TX for internal medicine
2,436
Unique beneficiaries
$32
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~147 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 (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. |
524 | $58 | $139 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
385 | $8 | $9 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
274 | $10 | $45 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
209 | $132 | $324 |
| 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. |
192 | $8 | $33 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
191 | $13 | $57 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
135 | $16 | $71 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
112 | $10 | $41 |
| 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. |
83 | $2 | $10 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
78 | $29 | $115 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
77 | $3 | $14 |
| 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. |
77 | $81 | $206 |
| Sed rate test (inflammation marker) This automated test measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a tube to detect inflammation in the body. |
72 | $3 | $12 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
61 | $19 | $78 |
| Flu vaccine, quadrivalent A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus to help prevent seasonal influenza infection. |
37 | $74 | $183 |
| Urine culture, bacterial colony count A laboratory test that measures the number of bacteria growing in a urine sample to help identify infections. |
36 | $8 | $35 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
35 | $31 | $70 |
| Urine microalbumin test (kidney screening) A laboratory test that measures the amount of microalbumin, a small protein, in a urine sample. This test is used to detect early signs of kidney damage. |
28 | $6 | $24 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
28 | $5 | $22 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
27 | $8 | $36 |
| Iron level test | 27 | $6 | $28 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
27 | $9 | $39 |
| Transferrin level test A blood test that measures the amount of transferrin, a protein that binds to and transports iron in the body. |
27 | $12 | $39 |
| Cardiac enzyme level (CK-MB) test A blood test that measures the total level of creatine kinase, specifically the cardiac enzyme fraction, to help evaluate heart muscle damage. |
26 | $6 | $28 |
| Urine culture, bacterial identification A laboratory test that grows and identifies bacteria from a urine sample to detect infections. |
21 | $8 | $35 |
| 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. |
20 | $8 | $37 |
| Total testosterone level test A blood test that measures the total amount of testosterone in your body. This hormone is important for various bodily functions in both men and women. |
18 | $25 | $109 |
| Uric acid level test A blood test that measures the level of uric acid in your body. Uric acid is a waste product formed when the body breaks down purines. |
18 | $4 | $20 |
| Ferritin level test (iron stores) A blood test that measures the level of ferritin, a protein that stores iron in the body. |
15 | $13 | $58 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) | 15 | $18 | $78 |
| C-reactive protein test (inflammation marker) A blood test that measures the level of C-reactive protein to detect the presence of infection or inflammation in the body. |
14 | $5 | $22 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
13 | $15 | $64 |
| 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. |
13 | $282 | $863 |
| 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. |
13 | $12 | $60 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
13 | $31 | $70 |
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 ↗$698
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $116/year across 6 years
Top 46% in TX for internal medicine
23
Companies
40
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
$698 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$177
2023
$21
2021
$48
2020
$34
2019
$139
2018
$279
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Abbott Laboratories
$142
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$74
Novo Nordisk Inc
$64
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$55
AbbVie, Inc.
$47
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$37
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$35
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$24
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$23
Exact Sciences Corporation
$21
Corcept Therapeutics
$20
Shire North American Group Inc
$17
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$17
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$16
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$16
Radius Health, Inc.
$14
Allergan Inc.
$14
Amgen Inc.
$12
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$12
Lilly USA, LLC
$11
PFIZER INC.
$11
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$10
Althera Pharmaceuticals LLC
$5
Top 3 companies account for 40.0% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AJOVY · Aimovig · Androgel · BREZTRI · BYDUREON · CHANTIX · Cologuard Collection Kit · Creon · Epclusa · FARXIGA · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · GVOKE HYPOPEN · INVOKANA · JARDIANCE · Kerendia · Korlym · LINZESS · Livalo · MYRBETRIQ · ONZETRA Xsail · Octrode SCS Leads · Ozempic · PROCLAIM · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Roszet · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · SYMBICORT · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRULICITY · Tymlos · 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 $24 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
850
Per 100K population
65.0
County median income
$97,169
Nearest hospital
THE HOSPITAL AT WESTLAKE MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | — Not enrolled | N/A |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 3 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. Debehnke is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 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. Debehnke experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Debehnke performed 524 office visit, established patient (20-29 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. Debehnke receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Debehnke received a total of $698 from 23 companies across 40 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. Debehnke's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in West Lake Hills?
Dr. Debehnke's average Medicare payment per service is $32. 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. Debehnke) 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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