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Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD

Accepting New Patients

(Ronald J. Falk, MD)

(9 Ratings)

Specializes in: General Practice and Nephrology (Kidney Disease)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine (1977)

Professional interests include: vasculitis, lupus, dialysis, and more.

100 Eastowne Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

(984) 974-5706

Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD is a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC specializing in general practice and nephrology (kidney disease). He graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine in 1977 and has 49 years of experience. Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD is affiliated with UNC Health and UNC Hospitals.

Office Locations

100 Eastowne Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

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Some issues Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD can help you with:

Dialysis

Dialysis is a procedure that replicates renal (kidney) function by filtering patients' blood. When kidneys do not work properly, waste can accumulate in the blood and unbalanced chemicals can impair the body's critical functions. In order to stay healthy, a person without proper kidney function must receive dialysis. There are two forms of dialysis treatment: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Both forms of dialysis are recurring treatments that in many cases last throughout the lifetime of the affected patient. Patients who briefly lose renal function may slowly reduce the frequency of dialysis sessions until their kidneys recover. However, most patients who start on dialysis remain on dialysis for the rest of their lives or until they receive a kidney transplant.

A number of conditions can worsen renal function and lead to end-stage or acute kidney failure. When kidneys fail (i.e. nearly 90 percent of their function is lost), dialysis is typically prescribed. Conditions that cause chronic kidney failure (eventually requiring dialysis) include:

Type 1 and 2 Diabetes
Pyelonephritis, recurring kidney infection
Glomerulonephritis, inflammation of the kidney's filtering parts
Polycystic kidney disease
Interstitial nephritis, inflammation of the kidney's tubules
High blood pressure
Vesicoureteral reflux, improper bladder emptying

For hemodialysis (the more common form of dialysis), a patient will visit a hospital or clinic and be connected to a dialysis machine by a needle attached to a tube that draws blood from the arm. The drawn blood is transferred to the dialysis machine, where it is filtered and separated until clean. Waste products from the blood pass into a fluid called dialysate, which is pumped out of the machine into a waste receptacle. The machine also measures and helps ensure the blood has the appropriate level of fluid, electrolytes, and pH. A tube delivers the cleaned blood back into the patient's body. A dialysis session like this will typically last for three to four hours, with a patient undergoing dialysis around three times per week.

A second method of dialysis is known as peritoneal dialysis. Unlike hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis can be performed at home by oneself after an initial surgery. To start, a physician (generally a surgeon) will make a small incision in the lower abdomen and insert and surgically attach a catheter (thin tube). At home, the patient connects a pump to the abdomen catheter, delivering dialysate (dialysis fluid) from a bag hanging on a wheeled stand. This fluid enters the peritoneal cavity (greater abdomen area containing the stomach, liver, and intestines) and collects waste through osmosis, where waste in the blood moves across a membrane and into the dialysate. This process continues for several hours until the fluid concentration is equal between the blood and dialysate, at which point the fluid can be drained. The fluid can then be passed through a machine called a cycler, which removes waste and allows for the dialysate to be reused. This process is repeated about four times per day. Dialysis patients must limit the amount of fluid they consume prior to receiving dialysis and should also avoid eating salty foods. The cycler cannot filter more than a certain amount of waste products from the blood.

Kidneys are important organs, and dialysis treatments are vital for those with renal dysfunction. For many, dialysis is not so much a medical procedure but a part of their normal life.

In The News

“While at UNC, she trained under Dr. Ronald Falk and Dr. Maureen Su to investigate autoimmune kidney diseases.”—"Meghan Elizabeth Free - Salisbury Post", Salisbury Post, June 2013

“Dr. Ronald Falk, president of the American Society of Nephrology, said his organization first came up with a list of about 100 overused tests and treatments before it whittled it down to five.”—"Unnecessary medicine: Physician groups list 45 overused tests, procedures", Chicago Tribune, April 2012

“According to Dr. Ronald Falk, the chief of nephrology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the 50 percent chance that medicines work is a high estimate. ''”—"PRO BASKETBALL; Mourning Is Out for Season With a Kidney Disease (Published 2000)", New York Times, October 2000

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2012 were hospital care, inpatient care, dialysis and hemofiltration.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

dialysis	96
doctor visit	178
hemofiltration	40
hospital care	204
inpatient care	204

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2013 were hospital care, inpatient care, dialysis and hemofiltration.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

dialysis	134
doctor visit	120
hemofiltration	44
hospital care	339
inpatient care	339

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	116
Female	125

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	127
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	65
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	130

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2013

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	50
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	34
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	16
Heart Failure	49
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	20
Diabetes	51
Dementia	12
Cancer	7

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2014 were dialysis, hospital care, inpatient care and hemofiltration.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

dialysis	373
doctor visit	92
hemofiltration	80
hospital care	189
inpatient care	189

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	136
Female	139

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	122
Black	136
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	75
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	155

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2014

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	49
Depression	35
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	17
Heart Failure	47
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	20
Diabetes	51
Dementia	12
Cancer	8

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2015 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	38
hospital care	105
inpatient care	105

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	100
Female	94

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	108
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	60
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	82

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2015

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	48
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	46
Depression	39
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	23
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	18
Heart Failure	42
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	28
Diabetes	52
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2016 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	108
hospital care	62
inpatient care	62

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	54
Female	47

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	64
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	42
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	36

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2016

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	51
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	45
Depression	28
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	26
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	17
Heart Failure	29
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	24
Diabetes	48
Dementia	0
Cancer	11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2017 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	95
hospital care	37
inpatient care	37

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	41
Female	36

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	53
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	32
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	24

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2017

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	48
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	45
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	27
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	21
Diabetes	44
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2018 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	75
hospital care	121
inpatient care	121

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	53
Female	49

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	62
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	40
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	39

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2018

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	53
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	22
Heart Failure	40
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	20
Diabetes	56
Dementia	13
Cancer	12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2019 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	76
hospital care	54
inpatient care	54

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	41
Female	37

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	54
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	37
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	23

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2019

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	53
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	46
Depression	35
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	15
Heart Failure	36
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	22
Diabetes	47
Dementia	19
Cancer	18

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2020 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	50
hospital care	78
inpatient care	78

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	46
Female	42

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	51
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	31
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	43

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2020

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	51
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	32
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	17
Heart Failure	45
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	58
Dementia	15
Cancer	0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2021 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	56
hospital care	36
inpatient care	36

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	33
Female	32

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	41
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	32
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	20

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2021

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	58
Stroke	17
Ischemic Heart Disease	35
Depression	35
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	32
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	46
Dementia	0
Cancer	17

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2022 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	79
hospital care	68
inpatient care	68

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	31
Female	29

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	43
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	30
From 75 to 84	15
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2022

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	28
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	23
Heart Failure	32
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	25
Diabetes	40
Dementia	0
Cancer	30

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2023 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC during 2023 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	63
hospital care	73
inpatient care	73

2023 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Male	41
Female	26

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	44
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	31
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	17

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD in 2023

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	36
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	22
Heart Failure	28
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	46
Dementia	0
Cancer	16

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2023

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated as a general practitioner in Chapel Hill, NC were dialysis, hospital care, inpatient care and hemofiltration.

dialysis	201
doctor visit	85
hemofiltration	54
hospital care	113
inpatient care	113

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2023

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD.

**Gender**
Female	54
Male	57

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	11
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	64
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	1
85 and over	0
Less than 65	47
65 to 74	39

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD From 2012 - 2023

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD treated were chronic kidney disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Hypertension	68
High Cholesterol	51
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	40
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	68
Asthma	7
Osteoporosis	2
Heart Failure	33
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	44
Atrial Fibrillation	15
Dementia	5
Cancer	9

Education & Training

Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine in 1977. He is certified by the Internal Medicine, Board Certified and has a state license in North Carolina.

Medical School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine (1977)

Board Certification: Internal Medicine, Board Certified (1980)

Licensed In: North Carolina

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

UNC Health

UNC Hospitals

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: WellCare, AmeriHealth Caritas, Aetna, Humana, Cigna, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina (BCBSNC), MedCost, UnitedHealthcare, Carolina Complete Health, Liberty Advantage, Contigo Health, Veterans Affairs, Medicare Advantage, United Healthcare, Medicaid, OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions (United Behavioral Health), CHAMPVA, Centene, Group Health Plan (GHP), HealthTeam Advantage, MedCost PPO, FirstCarolinaCare Insurance Company Group Health Plans, North Carolina State Health Plan, BCBSNC Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance (Blue Home with Novant Health is out of network), FirstCarolinaCare FirstMedicare Direct, Contigo Health Plan (WakeMed employees only) (out-of-network beginning January 1, 2026), Aetna Premier Care Network Plus (APCN+) (Tier 2), BCBSNC Group Health Plans (except for Blue High Performance Network (BlueHPN)), Aetna Whole Health (Tier 2), Atlantic Packaging Corporation, Meritain Health, an Aetna Company, Longevity Health Plan I-SNP and Veterans Affairs Community Care Network.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

WellCare

AmeriHealth Caritas

Aetna

Humana

Cigna

BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina (BCBSNC)

MedCost

UnitedHealthcare

Carolina Complete Health

Liberty Advantage

Contigo Health

Veterans Affairs

Medicare Advantage

United Healthcare

Medicaid

OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions (United Behavioral Health)

CHAMPVA

Centene

Group Health Plan (GHP)

HealthTeam Advantage

MedCost PPO

FirstCarolinaCare Insurance Company Group Health Plans

North Carolina State Health Plan

BCBSNC Blue Home with UNC Health Alliance (Blue Home with Novant Health is out of network)

FirstCarolinaCare FirstMedicare Direct

Contigo Health Plan (WakeMed employees only) (out-of-network beginning January 1, 2026)

Aetna Premier Care Network Plus (APCN+) (Tier 2)

BCBSNC Group Health Plans (except for Blue High Performance Network (BlueHPN))

Aetna Whole Health (Tier 2)

Atlantic Packaging Corporation

Meritain Health, an Aetna Company

Longevity Health Plan I-SNP

Veterans Affairs Community Care Network

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.96 out of 5 stars based on 9 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Chapel Hill, NC.

4.96

Overall Rating

(9 Ratings)

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Ronald J. Falk, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated	$11,254 $11,254
OPKO Pharmaceuticals, LLC	$63 Rayaldee $63

**Types of Payments**
Consulting Fee	$11,200
Food and Beverage	$117

Biography

Dr. Ronald Falk specializes in general practice and nephrology (kidney disease) and practices in Chapel Hill, NC. On average, patients gave Dr. Falk a rating of 5.0 stars (out of 5). He has a special interest in lupus, vasculitis, and glomerular diseases. He is affiliated with UNC Hospitals. Dr. Falk is an in-network provider for several insurance carriers, including UnitedHealthcare, Blue California, and Coventry. He has an open panel in Chapel Hill, NC according to UNC Health. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.