Medicare Enrolled
Dr. James Kim, M.D.
Pain Medicine · Covina, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Kim 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 →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Kim
Dr. James Kim is a pain medicine specialist in Covina, CA, with 12 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kim performed 2,421 Medicare services across 758 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kim received a total of $5,725 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 201 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain medicine. 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. Kim 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.
✓ 12 years in practice
▲ Top 23% volume in CA
$5,725 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,421
Medicare services
Top 23% in CA for pain medicine
758
Unique beneficiaries
$44
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~202 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
618 | $1 | $25 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
445 | $0 | $2 |
| 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. |
362 | $70 | $350 |
| Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) A contrast agent containing 300-399 mg/ml of iodine used to enhance imaging studies. It is administered per milliliter to improve the visibility of internal structures. |
275 | $0 | $10 |
| 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. |
190 | $101 | $450 |
| 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. |
133 | $136 | $800 |
| Midazolam injection, per 1 mg Administration of midazolam hydrochloride, a sedative medication, measured in 1 mg increments. |
88 | $0 | $10 |
| Injection, fentanyl citrate, 0.1 mg | 43 | $1 | $25 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
39 | $219 | $1,500 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
33 | $220 | $1,000 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
33 | $112 | $600 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
32 | $42 | $200 |
| Nursing facility visit, low complexity A daily follow-up visit for an existing patient in a nursing facility involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit requires at least 15 minutes of time if time is used to determine the level of care. |
28 | $61 | $350 |
| Trigger point injection, 1-2 muscles A procedure involving the injection of medication into one or two specific muscles to treat trigger points. |
17 | $44 | $150 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
17 | $244 | $800 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
14 | $62 | $750 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals. |
14 | $532 | $1,000 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
14 | $294 | $1,000 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
13 | $100 | $250 |
| Initial nursing facility care, moderate complexity Initial care provided to a patient in a nursing facility with moderate medical decision making, taking at least 35 minutes. |
13 | $108 | $500 |
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 ↗$5,725
Total received (2020-2024)
Avg $1,145/year across 5 years
Top 29% in CA for pain medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
23
Companies
201
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
$5,725 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$323
2023
$1,239
2022
$2,204
2021
$1,255
2020
$703
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$208
ABBVIE INC.
$32
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$20
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$17
BIOTRONIK NRO, Inc.
$15
Medtronic, Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 80.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2020-2024) ›
Abbott Laboratories
$1,789
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$1,075
Medtronic, Inc.
$967
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$576
Boston Scientific Corporation
$403
Stimwave Technologies Incorporated
$124
Stryker Corporation
$120
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$79
GRT US Holding, Inc.
$78
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$78
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$59
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$57
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$54
Curonix LLC
$43
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$42
Avanos Medical
$34
ABBVIE INC.
$32
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$30
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$19
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
BIOTRONIK NRO, Inc.
$15
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 66.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCURIAN · BOTOX · Belbuca · COOLIEF* COOLED RADIOFREQUENCY · Cinch Epiducer SCS · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL THERAPIES · GENVISC 850 SODIUM HYALURONATE · General - Pain Management · HORIZANT · Horizant · INFINION · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · IVS - AUTOPLEX SYSTEM · KYPHON EXPRESS II KYPHOPAK TRAY · Movantik · NALOCET · NURTEC ODT · Nalu Neurostimulation System · OCTRODE · Octrode SCS Leads · PENTA · PNS FREEDOM-4A PERMANENT NEUROSTIMULATOR RECEIVER KIT CHANNEL A · PROCLAIM · PRODIGY · Penta SCS Leads · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · Prodigy Family of SCS IPGs · Prospera · Qutenza · RELISTOR · RESTORE · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · StimQ Peripheral Nerve StimulatorSystem · Superion · Superion Indirect Decompression System · VANTA ADAPTIVESTIM · WAVEWRITER ALPHA · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · XTAMPZA · 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 →
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Pain medicines within 10 mi
64
Per 100K population
0.6
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
EMANATE HEALTH INTER-COMMUNITY 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. Kim is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 23% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Kim experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kim performed 618 steroid injection (triamcinolone) 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. Kim receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kim received a total of $5,725 from 23 companies across 201 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. Kim's costs compare to other pain medicines in Covina?
Dr. Kim's average Medicare payment per service is $44. 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. Kim) 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 →
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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.
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