Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Albert Ma, M.D.

Counselor · Bakersfield, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1500 HAGGIN OAKS BLVD STE 202, Bakersfield, CA 93311
6617353887
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1275596496 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Ma 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. Ma? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Ma

Dr. Albert Ma is a counselor in Bakersfield, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Ma performed 686 Medicare services across 233 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Ma received a total of $8,295 from 28 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 443 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in counselor. 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. Ma 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 19% volume in CA $8,295 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
686
Medicare services
Top 19% in CA for counselor
233
Unique beneficiaries
$70
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~36 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
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity
Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service.
330 $63 $275
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.
109 $54 $150
Psychotherapy and evaluation, 30 minutes
A combined session involving psychotherapy and an evaluation and management visit lasting 30 minutes.
96 $45 $130
Initial hospital admission, high complexity
Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
48 $130 $375
Hospital discharge management, 30+ min
This service covers the care provided by a physician or qualified healthcare professional on the day a patient is discharged from the hospital. It requires more than 30 minutes of total time spent on the day of discharge.
48 $92 $415
Psychotherapy session, 1 hour
A one-hour psychotherapy session involving talk therapy to address mental health concerns.
42 $102 $225
Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation with medical services
A psychiatric assessment that includes medical services to evaluate mental health conditions.
13 $143 $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.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$8,295
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,185/year across 7 years
Top 7% in CA for counselor
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
28
Companies
443
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
$8,207 (98.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$88 (1.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$573
2023
$642
2022
$1,047
2021
$1,854
2020
$894
2019
$1,858
2018
$1,427

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Alkermes, Inc.
$364
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$69
Tris Pharma Inc
$34
IRONSHORE PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$25
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$24
Lundbeck LLC
$23
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$18
ABBVIE INC.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 81.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$1,298
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$1,290
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$1,209
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,197
Alkermes, Inc.
$1,017
Lundbeck LLC
$588
Tris Pharma Inc
$345
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$339
Allergan Inc.
$154
ITI, Inc.
$143
Shire North American Group Inc
$124
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$119
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$69
Nevro Corp.
$64
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$62
AbbVie Inc.
$52
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$35
IRONSHORE PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$25
Ironshore Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$23
Indivior Inc.
$22
ABBVIE INC.
$17
Vertical Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$17
Allergan, Inc.
$16
Neos Therapeutics, LP
$15
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$14
Corium, LLC
$13
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 45.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ABILIFY ASIMTUFII · ABILIFY MAINTENA · ARISTADA · AUSTEDO · AZSTARYS · Adzenys XR-ODT · Aristada 441 mg · Austedo XR · Auvelity · BRINTELLIX · CAPLYTA · COBENFY · Dyanavel XR · Evekeo · Fanapt · HETLIOZ · INGREZZA · INVEGA SUSTENNA · JORNAY PM · LATUDA · LYBALVI · MYDAYIS · NUEDEXTA · PERSERIS · QELBREE · Quillichew ER · RELEXXII · REXULTI · SPRAVATO · Senza · TRINTELLIX · Trintellix · UBRELVY · UZEDY · VRAYLAR · VYVANSE · 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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for counselor in CA.

Looking for a counselor in Bakersfield?
Compare counselors in the Bakersfield area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Counselors within 10 mi
67
Per 100K population
7.4
County median income
$67,660
Nearest hospital
BAKERSFIELD BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE HOSPITAL, LLC
14.3 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. Ma is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 19% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 7% of CA peers, with 19 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. Ma experienced with hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Ma performed 330 hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity 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. Ma receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Ma received a total of $8,295 from 28 companies across 443 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. Ma's costs compare to other counselors in Bakersfield?
Dr. Ma's average Medicare payment per service is $70. 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. Ma) 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 →
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

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →