Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Alejandro Alva, M.D.

Psychiatry · Costa Mesa, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
3151 AIRWAY AVE STE G1, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
7145455550
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1801816764 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. Alva 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. Alva? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Alva

Dr. Alejandro Alva is a psychiatry specialist in Costa Mesa, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Alva performed 622 Medicare services across 273 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Alva received a total of $229,256 from 57 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1935 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in psychiatry. 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. Alva 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 23% volume in CA $229,256 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
622
Medicare services
Top 23% in CA for psychiatry
273
Unique beneficiaries
$88
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~33 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
Psychotherapy and evaluation, 30 minutes
A combined session involving psychotherapy and an evaluation and management visit lasting 30 minutes.
233 $55 $150
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.
135 $98 $290
Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity
Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
100 $95 $212
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.
96 $145 $400
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.
24 $59 $205
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 20 $176 $490
Psychological test administration, first 30 minutes
A technician administers psychological or neuropsychological testing for the first 30 minutes.
14 $29 $90
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 ↗
$229,256
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $32,751/year across 7 years
Top 1% in CA for psychiatry
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
57
Companies
1,935
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
$156,642 (68.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$62,479 (27.3%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$10,135 (4.4%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$62,909
2023
$41,027
2022
$28,745
2021
$16,777
2020
$13,681
2019
$30,352
2018
$35,765

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
H. Lundbeck A S
$21,004
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$19,170
Alkermes, Inc.
$16,543
ABBVIE INC.
$1,040
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$689
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$596
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$554
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$544
Lundbeck LLC
$499
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$305
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$301
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$282
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$279
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.
$258
Tris Pharma Inc
$145
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$117
Noven Therapeutics, LLC
$101
Biogen, Inc.
$94
Bausch Health US, LLC
$69
HARMONY BIOSCIENCES LLC
$65
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$63
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$32
Corium, LLC
$30
Indivior Inc.
$28
Avion Pharmaceuticals
$23
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$23
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$22
Lilly USA, LLC
$16
USWM, LLC
$14
Top 3 companies account for 90.2% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Alkermes, Inc.
$89,636
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$48,097
H. Lundbeck A S
$26,306
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18,568
US WorldMeds, LLC
$10,569
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$3,354
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$3,218
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$2,912
Biogen, Inc.
$2,428
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$2,379
AbbVie Inc.
$1,900
ITI, Inc.
$1,805
ABBVIE INC.
$1,629
Lundbeck LLC
$1,613
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$1,536
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$1,530
Allergan Inc.
$1,327
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,123
Neuronetics, Inc.
$1,023
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$900
USWM, LLC
$851
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$822
Indivior Inc.
$687
ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.)
$596
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.
$561
Bausch Health US, LLC
$535
Allergan, Inc.
$438
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$336
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$315
Noven Therapeutics, LLC
$291
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$244
Brainsway USA INC
$197
Tris Pharma Inc
$162
Adlon Therapeutics L.P.
$152
Eisai Inc.
$118
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$117
Harmony Biosciences LLC
$114
Corium, LLC
$95
Ironshore Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$87
HARMONY BIOSCIENCES LLC
$65
Shire North American Group Inc
$65
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$63
PFIZER INC.
$52
Boston Scientific Corporation
$47
Avion Pharmaceuticals
$44
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$44
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$43
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$38
Lilly USA, LLC
$35
Alfasigma USA, Inc.
$34
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$30
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$27
Orexo US, Inc.
$23
OWP Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$21
ASSERTIO THERAPEUTICS, Inc.
$19
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$19
ASSERTIO THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 71.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ABILIFY ASIMTUFII · ABILIFY MAINTENA · ABILIFY MYCITE · ADHANSIA XR · AMYVID · APLENZIN · APOKYN · ARISTADA · AUSTEDO · Aristada 441 mg · Austedo XR · Auvelity · Azstarys · BELSOMRA · BRINTELLIX · BrainsWay Deep TMS · CAPLYTA · CHANTIX · COBENFY · Dayvigo · Dyanavel XR · EMGALITY · Evekeo · FANAPT · Fanapt · Gralise · HETLIOZ · Hetlioz · Horizant · INGREZZA · INVEGA SUSTENNA · INVEGA TRINZA · JORNAY PM · Jornay PM 20mg capsules (Bottle of 100) · KAPSPARGO · LATUDA · LONHALA MAGNAIR · LUCEMYRA · LYBALVI · Lucemyra · Lucemyra/Lofexidine · MYDAYIS · Methylphenidate Hydrochloride · NEUROSTAR TMS THERAPY · NEUROSTAR TMS THERAPY SYSTEM · NUEDEXTA · NUPLAZID · Nuedexta · PERSERIS · QELBREE · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · Qelbree · Quillivant · REXULTI · SECUADO · SPRAVATO · SUBLOCADE · SUBVENITE · SUNOSI · SYMJEPI · Secuado · Sunosi · TRINTELLIX · Trintellix · UBRELVY · UZEDY · VNS - Symmetry · VNS THERAPY SYMMETRY MODEL 8103 GENERATOR · VNS Therapy · VNS Therapy Symmetry Model 8103 Generator · VRAYLAR · VYVANSE · Vyvanse · WAKIX · WELLBUTRIN · WELLBUTRIN XL · XIFAXAN · Xelstrym · ZIMHI · Zubsolv
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 (68%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in psychiatry and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for psychiatry in CA.

Looking for a psychiatry specialist in Costa Mesa?
Compare psychiatrists in the Costa Mesa area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse psychiatrists nearby

Geographic Context

Psychiatrists within 10 mi
827
Per 100K population
26.1
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
COLLEGE HOSPITAL COSTA MESA
2.3 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. Alva is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 23% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 1% 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. Alva experienced with psychotherapy and evaluation, 30 minutes?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Alva performed 233 psychotherapy and evaluation, 30 minutes 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. Alva receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Alva received a total of $229,256 from 57 companies across 1,935 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. Alva's costs compare to other psychiatrists in Costa Mesa?
Dr. Alva's average Medicare payment per service is $88. 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. Alva) 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 →