Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Rami Apelian, MD
Neurology · Arcadia, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
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. Apelian 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. Apelian?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Apelian
Dr. Rami Apelian is a neurology specialist in Arcadia, CA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Apelian performed 24,644 Medicare services across 929 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Apelian received a total of $559,103 from 104 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 2432 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Apelian is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 17 years in practice
▲ Top 4% volume in CA
$559,103 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗24,644
Medicare services
Top 4% in CA for neurology
929
Unique beneficiaries
$14
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~1,450 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botox injection, per unit An injection of onabotulinumtoxinA, a medication used to temporarily relax muscles or reduce gland activity. The dose is measured in units, with this code representing a single unit administered. |
19,800 | $5 | $12 |
| Botox injection (Xeomin), per unit An injection of incobotulinumtoxin A, a botulinum toxin type A product, administered in a quantity of one unit. |
2,850 | $4 | $12 |
| 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. |
1,266 | $102 | $175 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 143 | $163 | $317 |
| Electromyography of arm or leg muscles A test that measures the electrical activity in the muscles of the arm or leg using a needle electrode. It helps evaluate the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. |
109 | $87 | $150 |
| Needle measurement of electrical activity in muscle with injection of chemical for paralysis of nerve muscle | 90 | $70 | $140 |
| Chemical nerve block for neck muscles Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze specific muscles on the side of the neck, excluding the voice box. |
85 | $171 | $275 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
82 | $59 | $151 |
| EEG, extended monitoring A test that records electrical activity in the brain while the patient is both awake and asleep. |
60 | $404 | $585 |
| Digital analysis of brain wave activity (EEG) This procedure involves the digital analysis of brain wave activity recorded via an electroencephalogram (EEG). It focuses on the technical interpretation of the digital data rather than the initial recording or supervision. |
60 | $250 | $395 |
| Bilateral facial and neck nerve muscle paralysis injection Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze muscles in the face and neck on both sides. |
47 | $128 | $325 |
| Nerve conduction study, 9-10 studies A diagnostic test that measures how well nerves send electrical signals. It involves performing 9 to 10 separate nerve conduction studies to evaluate nerve function. |
38 | $177 | $344 |
| Nerve conduction studies, 11-12 A diagnostic test that measures how well nerves send electrical signals. It involves performing 11 to 12 separate nerve conduction studies. |
14 | $219 | $350 |
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.
0.3% high complexity
93.0% medium
6.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$559,103
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $79,872/year across 7 years
Top 1% in CA for neurology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
104
Companies
2,432
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.
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$509,740 (91.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$25,829 (4.6%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$23,534 (4.2%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$8,052
2023
$85,236
2022
$119,902
2021
$142,423
2020
$50,217
2019
$66,848
2018
$86,427
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$2,277
SK Life Science, Inc.
$1,118
UCB, Inc.
$432
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$368
Lundbeck LLC
$318
PFIZER INC.
$305
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$274
Lilly USA, LLC
$261
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$257
ARGENX US, INC.
$256
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$201
Eisai Inc.
$169
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$168
Amgen Inc.
$158
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$151
Avadel CNS Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$150
MDD US Operations, LLC
$136
Neurelis, Inc.
$134
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$126
CATALYST PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$83
MITSUBISHI TANABE PHARMA AMERICA, INC.
$77
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$76
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$64
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$57
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$56
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$54
Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$52
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$48
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$41
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$32
Biogen, Inc.
$30
Medtronic, Inc.
$30
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$29
BANNER LIFE SCIENCES, LLC
$27
Octapharma USA, Inc.
$20
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 47.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$59,077
AbbVie Inc.
$51,955
Lundbeck LLC
$50,425
Allergan, Inc.
$45,929
UCB, Inc.
$40,802
SK Life Science, Inc.
$39,949
ABBVIE INC.
$31,938
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$27,223
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$27,221
US WorldMeds, LLC
$26,105
Lilly USA, LLC
$24,818
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$15,916
Allergan Inc.
$15,654
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$15,453
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$13,991
Eisai Inc.
$12,370
Eli Lilly and Company
$8,015
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$7,111
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$6,849
PFIZER INC.
$5,980
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$5,819
EISAI INC.
$4,300
Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$4,110
ARGENX US, INC.
$1,708
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc
$1,652
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,589
Amgen Inc.
$1,432
MDD US Operations, LLC
$966
Greenwich Biosciences, Inc.
$892
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$772
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$728
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$684
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$552
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$525
GENZYME CORPORATION
$455
Biogen, Inc.
$413
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$387
Abbott Laboratories
$340
EMD Serono, Inc.
$334
Neurelis, Inc.
$331
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$282
CSL Behring
$206
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$198
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$185
Avadel CNS Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$174
Corium, LLC
$173
MITSUBISHI TANABE PHARMA AMERICA, INC.
$142
Assertio Therapeutics, Inc.
$131
IMPEL PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$127
Mallinckrodt LLC
$124
Zyla Life Sciences, Inc.
$123
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$122
CATALYST PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$118
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$115
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$112
Grifols USA, LLC
$107
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$99
Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$92
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$87
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$85
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$80
AQUESTIVE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$80
Vertical Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$79
Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$76
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$66
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$57
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$56
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$55
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$52
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$51
Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.
$49
GRT US Holding, Inc.
$45
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$43
Bausch Health US, LLC
$40
BrainScope Company, Inc.
$39
Impax Laboratories, Inc.
$37
ASSERTIO THERAPEUTICS, Inc.
$35
Straumann USA LLC
$35
Octapharma USA, Inc.
$34
Sandoz Inc.
$33
Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
$31
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$30
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$30
Medtronic, Inc.
$30
HARMONY BIOSCIENCES LLC
$30
INSIGHTEC,INC
$27
BANNER LIFE SCIENCES, LLC
$27
Celgene Corporation
$24
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$24
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.
$24
Promius Pharma LLC
$23
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$23
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$22
ADMA BioManufacturing LLC
$21
AbbVie, Inc.
$17
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$16
Boston Scientific Corporation
$16
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$15
Microtransponder, Inc.
$14
Grifols Shared Services North America, Inc.
$14
Almatica Pharma LLC
$14
Ceribell, Inc.
$8
Retrophin, Inc.
$5
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$4
Top 3 companies account for 28.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(820) Cholbam · ACTHAR · ACTIVA · ADUHELM · AFINITOR · AGAMREE · AIMOVIG · AJOVY · AMPYRA · AMVUTTRA · AMYVID · ANDEXXA · APOKYN · APTIOM · AUBAGIO · AUSTEDO · AVONEX · Adlarity · Aimovig · Amitiza · Austedo XR · BAFIERTAM · BELSOMRA · BOTOX · BOTOX THERAPEUTIC · Betaseron · BrainScope One · Briviact · CAMBIA · COMIRNATY · COPAXONE · CREXONT · Cambia · Cenobamate · Cholbam · DAYBUE · DUOPA · Dysport · ELYXYB - celecoxib · EMGALITY · EPIDIOLEX · Edarbi · Edarbyclor · Epidiolex · Exablate · FIRDAPSE · FYCOMPA · Fintepla · Fycompa · GENERAL DBS · GILENYA · GOCOVRI · Gamunex-C · Gocovri · Gralise · HORIZANT · Hizentra · Horizant · INBRIJA · INFINITY · INGREZZA · Infinity DBS Pulse Generators · Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation System · KESIMPTA · KEVEYIS · KISUNLA · KRYSTEXXA · LEMTRADA · LINZESS · LUMRYZ · LYRICA · Leqembi · LifeVest · MAYZENT · MIGRANAL · MS DISEASE STATE · MYOBLOC · Mavenclad · NAPRELAN · NORTHERA · NOURIANZ · NUEDEXTA · NUPLAZID · NURTEC ODT · Nayzilam · Neupro · Nourianz · Nuedexta · OCTAGAM IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HUMAN) · ONFI · ONGENTYS · ONPATTRO · OSMOLEX ER · Ongentys · PANZYGA · PAXLOVID · PERCEPT PC BRAINSENSE · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · Qutenza · Quzyttir · RADICAVA · REXULTI · RYTARY · Radicava · Rebif · Repatha · SILENOR · SKYCLARYS · SOLIRIS · SPRIX · SUNOSI · SYMPAZAN · Soliris · Sunosi · TEGSEDI · TRINTELLIX · TYSABRI · Trintellix · Trudhesa · UBRELVY · ULTOMIRIS · UPLIZNA · VALTOCO · VNS - Sentiva · VNS THERAPY SENTIVA MODEL 1000 GENERATOR · VNS Therapy · VNS Therapy SenTiva Model 1000 Generator · VRAYLAR · VYEPTI · VYVGART · VYVGART HYTRULO · Vimpat · Wakix · XADAGO · XCOPRI · XYREM · XYWAV · Xadago · Xeomin · Xyrem · ZEMBRACE SYMTOUCH · ZTALMY · ZTLido
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 →
The majority of payments (91%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in neurology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for neurology in CA.
Geographic Context
Neurologists within 10 mi
496
Per 100K population
5.0
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
USC ARCADIA HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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 reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Apelian is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 4% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 1% of CA peers, with 17 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Apelian experienced with botox injection, per unit?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Apelian performed 19,800 botox injection, per unit 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. Apelian receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Apelian received a total of $559,103 from 104 companies across 2,432 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. Apelian's costs compare to other neurologists in Arcadia?
Dr. Apelian's average Medicare payment per service is $14. 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. Apelian) 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 →
Explore related providers
Specialty guide
Understanding Neurology
Common procedures, typical costs, and what industry payments mean in neurology.
Same specialty & city
Neurologists in Arcadia
Browse neurologists in Arcadia ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Neurologists in CA
Neurologists ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Neurologists in CA
Which CA neurologists receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
By company
AbbVie Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from AbbVie Inc.
By company
Lundbeck LLC Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Lundbeck LLC.
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. Data Coverage reflects 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