Dr. Puja Chitkara, M.D
What this data tells you about Dr. Chitkara
Dr. Puja Chitkara is an optician specialist in Chula Vista, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chitkara performed 1,715 Medicare services across 896 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chitkara received a total of $132,954 from 47 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 768 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Chitkara 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
835 | $96 | $281 |
| Complete ultrasound scan of joint An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to create detailed images of a joint. This procedure allows for the visualization of the joint's internal structures. |
292 | $42 | $186 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
180 | $9 | $20 |
| 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. |
121 | $66 | $199 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
86 | $127 | $361 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
76 | $81 | $218 |
| Ultrasound-guided small joint aspiration or injection This procedure involves removing fluid from or injecting medication into a small joint while using ultrasound imaging to guide the needle placement. |
32 | $63 | $179 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
32 | $147 | $275 |
| Ultrasound-guided joint aspiration or injection Removal of fluid from or injection into a medium-sized joint using ultrasound guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
26 | $69 | $196 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
24 | $44 | $140 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 11 | $168 | $476 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (84%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in optician and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for optician in CA.
Geographic Context
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. Chitkara is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 3% of CA peers, with 18 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. Chitkara experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
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How do Dr. Chitkara's costs compare to other opticians in Chula Vista?
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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.
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