Dr. Laura B. Hughes, MD

Dr. Hughes practices at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Alabama, part of East Alabama Medical Center.

Dr. Hughes' NPI, 1598792178, was assigned on June 27, 2006. Dr. Hughes graduated from Heersink School of Medicine - Birmingham in 1996. Dr. Hughes' Alabama license number on file is 23191.

Dr. Hughes' primary practice is East Alabama Medical Center, at 2000 Pepperell Parkway, Opelika, AL 36801 in Lee County. The practice phone is (334) 528-1300.

Dr. Hughes' primary practice is East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Alabama, part of East Alabama Medical Center. Dr. Hughes is also affiliated with Russell Medical. The medical group on file is East Alabama Medical Center. Dmand AI also links Dr. Hughes to 2 more medical groups and 1 other site, each named with a free account. Dr. Hughes' employer is on file too: a hospital.

Dmand AI tracks the electronic health record (EHR) system at each site where Dr. Hughes practices, 3 sites in all. Vendor and product names are available with a free account.

Rheumatology is Dr. Hughes' primary specialty in the NPI Registry, under taxonomy code 207RR0500X. Dr. Hughes is board certified in rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Hughes has a license on file in Alabama.

Dmand AI lists arteritis, arthritis, gout, joint pain, lupus, muscle disease, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, and limb pain and osteoporosis among the conditions Dr. Hughes treats.

CMS data shows 744 Medicare services from Dr. Hughes across 6 procedure codes in 2024, for 171 Medicare patients. Medicare paid $34,279 for them. Every service was in a facility, such as a hospital, rather than an office.

CMS counts 171 Medicare patients who saw Dr. Hughes in 2024. The largest group is 65 to 74, with 76 patients. 75% of them have arthritis, and 75% have high blood pressure. 8% are also on Medicaid. Their average risk score is 1.26, where 1.00 is the Medicare average.

Across all payers, Dmand AI patient panel data puts Dr. Hughes' median patient age at 71, with 82% women.

In 2024, Dr. Hughes wrote 3,100 Medicare Part D claims for 322 patients. 82% of them were for generic drugs. CMS names the drug for 2,750 of them, across 45 drugs with 11 or more claims each, at $2,579,413 in total drug cost. In 2023, CMS named 2,321 claims across 44 drugs.

CMS publishes a Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) score of 86 out of 100 for Dr. Hughes for performance year 2024, reported as part of a group. Dr. Hughes accepts Medicare assignment, so Medicare's approved amount is taken as full payment.

Dmand AI links 43 papers to Dr. Hughes, published from 2006 to 2025. 2010 was the busiest year, with 5. The most frequent topics are Arthritis, Rheumatoid, Black or African American and Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide. Dr. Hughes has published most often in Ann Rheum Dis. Dr. Hughes' most frequent co-authors are James Michael Kelley, MD, PhD, Roland Staud, MD and Peter Gregersen.

CMS Open Payments shows 415 general payments to Dr. Hughes from 34 drug and device companies from 2016 to 2025. Food and beverage make up the largest share, 71% of the total. Pfizer Inc. paid the most, $2,769. It also lists 1 research payment totaling $1,435 in 2020.

Dmand AI lists 2 awards for Dr. Hughes, most recently ACR Fellow in 2012.

Dr. Hughes graduated from Heersink School of Medicine - Birmingham in 1996. Dr. Hughes is a member of ACR.

Dr. Hughes is in network with 17 carriers, including Aetna, Elevance and United Healthcare. PPO plans come from the most carriers, 11. Check the plan with the practice before a visit.