Ruth Lachar Wintz, M.D.
NPI 1891728168ActiveIndividual· Internal Medicine, Nephrology· Houston, TX
Internal Medicine, Nephrology (M.D.) in Houston, Texas, trained at Baylor College of Medicine (class of 1997). Their prescriptions cost Medicare Part D more than their services did: $470,972 for 2,307 claims, against $244,933 paid for services in 2024. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation was the largest of 4 companies reporting payments in 2025, $121.08 in all, mostly food and beverage.
Overview
| NPI | 1891728168 |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Entity type | Individual |
| Credential | M.D. |
| Sole proprietor | No |
| NPI issued | Jul 9, 2006 |
| Last updated in NPPES | Jul 21, 2022 |
| Certified by provider | Jul 21, 2022 |
Specialties and licenses
| Taxonomy | Code | License | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Medicine, Nephrology Primary | 207RN0300X | M5587 | TX |
| Internal Medicine, Nephrology | 207RN0300X | A67579 | CA |
Exclusion screening
| List | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| HHS-OIG LEIE · Nov 10, 2026 | No match | Checked by NPI and by name + state |
| North Carolina Medicaid · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| New York OMIG · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Ohio Medicaid · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Pennsylvania Medicheck · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
| Washington HCA · Nov 11, 2026 | No match | — |
Official OIG search · How matching works ·Bulk check a roster
Medicare
| Enrollment (PECOS) | Enrolled Practitioner - Nephrology (TX) |
|---|---|
| Accepts assignment | Yes (participating) |
Medicare services in 2024
| Medicare patients | 282 |
|---|---|
| Services billed | 4,625 across 26 procedure codes |
| Paid by Medicare | $244,933 |
Part D prescriptions in 2024
| Prescriptions (claims) | 2,307 · 5,870 30-day fills |
|---|---|
| Patients | 260 |
| Total drug cost | $470,972 |
| Generic share | 84% of claims |
Education and affiliations
| Medical school | Baylor College of Medicine |
|---|---|
| Graduation year | 1997 |
| Medicare specialty | Nephrology |
| Secondary specialties | Internal Medicine |
| Telehealth | Offers telehealth |
Medical group
- Kidney Associates, PLLCHouston, TX · 8 clinicians
Hospital affiliations
- Baylor St Lukes Medical CenterHouston, TX
- Houston Methodist HospitalHouston, TX
Other facilities
- Davita Cloverleaf DialysisDialysis facility · Houston, TX
- Davita Omni Dialysis CenterDialysis facility · Houston, TX
- Medical Center Kidney ClinicDialysis facility · Houston, TX
Industry payments (Open Payments)
- 2025$121.08 · 6 payments from 4 companies
- 2024$793.46 · 18 payments from 13 companies
Top paying companies in 2025
| Company | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation | $64.01 | 3 |
| Ardelyx, Inc. | $22.01 | 1 |
| Amgen Inc. | $18.38 | 1 |
| Shield Therapeutics Inc | $16.68 | 1 |
What the 2025 payments were for
- Food and Beverage$121.08 · 6 payments
Receiving payments does not imply wrongdoing. What Open Payments covers ·original records
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All 302 nephrologists in Houston · All nephrologists in Texas