Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Christian Cruz, MD
Nephrology · Daly City, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Mixed 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. Cruz 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. Cruz
Dr. Christian Cruz is a nephrology specialist in Daly City, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cruz performed 2,312 Medicare services across 1,358 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cruz received a total of $64,485 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 133 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in nephrology. Payments are distributed across multiple categories and often reflect legitimate professional engagement with the medical industry. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Cruz 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 24% volume in CA
$64,485 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,312
Medicare services
Top 24% in CA for nephrology
1,358
Unique beneficiaries
$269
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~122 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, 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. |
236 | $106 | $262 |
| Dialysis services for patients 20 or older Dialysis treatment provided to patients aged 20 years or older, involving four or more physician visits per month. |
190 | $323 | $790 |
| 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. |
181 | $0 | $1 |
| Electrocardiogram, 1-3 leads with physician review A heart rhythm test using one to three electrodes to record electrical activity, with interpretation by a physician. |
180 | $12 | $30 |
| 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. |
165 | $52 | $132 |
| Injection, fentanyl citrate, 0.1 mg | 160 | $1 | $13 |
| Hemodialysis circuit intervention with balloon dilation A procedure to insert a needle or tube into a hemodialysis circuit and dilate the dialysis segment using a balloon, with radiological review. |
151 | $1,259 | $3,316 |
| Ultrasound of blood vessel, initial vessel An ultrasound exam of a blood vessel that includes a radiologist's review of the initial vessel. |
139 | $1,022 | $2,675 |
| Additional blood vessel ultrasound evaluation An ultrasound exam of a blood vessel that includes a radiologist's review. This code applies to each additional vessel evaluated beyond the initial one. |
139 | $169 | $426 |
| Radiologist review of arm or leg artery image A radiologist reviews images of the arteries in the arm or leg. This process involves analyzing the visual data to assess the blood vessels. |
137 | $145 | $371 |
| 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. |
127 | $71 | $174 |
| 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. |
113 | $74 | $298 |
| Critical care, first 30-74 min Emergency medical care for a critically ill or injured patient lasting between 30 and 74 minutes. This service involves direct patient care and medical decision making to stabilize the patient. |
98 | $188 | $626 |
| 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. |
74 | $88 | $416 |
| 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. |
64 | $150 | $382 |
| Balloon dilation of dialysis access with radiologist review A minimally invasive procedure to widen a narrowed section of a dialysis access vessel using a balloon catheter. The procedure includes review by a radiologist to ensure proper placement and effectiveness. |
55 | $616 | $1,601 |
| Hemodialysis, single evaluation A dialysis procedure to filter waste from the blood, performed with a physician's evaluation. |
48 | $65 | $158 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone. |
17 | $54 | $298 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 14 | $205 | $506 |
| Removal of tunneled central venous tube This procedure involves the removal of a catheter that has been surgically placed under the skin and threaded into a large vein. |
12 | $129 | $396 |
| Hemodialysis circuit intervention with stent placement A radiologist inserts a needle or tube into the hemodialysis circuit and places a stent in the dialysis segment while reviewing the procedure. |
12 | $4,653 | $12,216 |
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.
0.5% high complexity
46.0% medium
53.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$64,485
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $9,212/year across 7 years
Top 3% in CA for nephrology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
22
Companies
133
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.
Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$45,000 (69.8%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$16,809 (26.1%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,676 (4.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$15,806
2023
$15,379
2022
$15,406
2021
$17,273
2020
$215
2019
$331
2018
$74
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$15,000
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$266
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$124
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$73
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$62
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$53
Lilly USA, LLC
$51
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$35
Vifor Pharma, Inc.
$30
CALLIDITAS THERAPEUTICS US INC.
$30
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.
$29
Amgen Inc.
$29
OPKO Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$24
Top 3 companies account for 97.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$61,750
Amgen Inc.
$559
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$514
Boston Scientific Corporation
$411
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$216
Fresenius USA Marketing, Inc.
$153
Relypsa, Inc.
$150
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$124
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$100
Vifor Pharma, Inc.
$94
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$62
OPKO Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$59
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$53
Lilly USA, LLC
$51
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$35
CALLIDITAS THERAPEUTICS US INC.
$30
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.
$29
BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
$25
Calliditas Therapeutics US Inc.
$23
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$16
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 97.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · Aranesp · Auryon Laser System 100-120 Vac · COVERA · FARXIGA · Fabhalta · GENERAL ULTRASOUND · General - Atherectomy · General - Balloons · General - Ultrasound · General - Vascular Intervention · INJECTAFER · INVOKANA · JARDIANCE · JETSTREAM SC · JYNARQUE · KRYSTEXXA · LOKELMA · LUPKYNIS · Parsabiv · RAYALDEE · TARPEYO · Velphoro · Veltassa · XARELTO
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 →
Payments are distributed across multiple categories with no single dominant type. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for nephrology in CA.
Geographic Context
Nephrologists within 10 mi
129
Per 100K population
17.3
County median income
$156,000
Nearest hospital
AHMC SETON MEDICAL CENTER
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. Cruz is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 24% in CA), with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 3% 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. Cruz experienced with hospital follow-up visit, high complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cruz performed 236 hospital follow-up visit, high 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. Cruz receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Cruz received a total of $64,485 from 22 companies across 133 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. Cruz's costs compare to other nephrologists in Daly City?
Dr. Cruz's average Medicare payment per service is $269. 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. Cruz) 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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