Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Nellis Smith, M.D.
Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Physician · E Palo Alto, CA
Practice pattern: Electrophysiology & Cardiac
— Practice combining electrophysiology and cardiac services
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. Smith 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. Smith
Dr. Nellis Smith is a clinical cardiac electrophysiology physician in E Palo Alto, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Smith performed 3,306 Medicare services across 2,350 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Smith received a total of $3,815 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 153 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in clinical cardiac electrophysiology physician. 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. Smith 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 29% volume in CA
$3,815 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,306
Medicare services
Top 29% in CA for clinical cardiac electrophysiology physician
2,350
Unique beneficiaries
$98
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~174 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
622 | $156 | $489 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
501 | $13 | $83 |
| Heart ultrasound interpretation and report A professional review and written report of an ultrasound image of the heart. |
248 | $79 | $445 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create images of the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. |
230 | $16 | $69 |
| 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. |
202 | $108 | $365 |
| Remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days Remote evaluation of a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the last check. |
141 | $21 | $126 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
122 | $182 | $881 |
| Remote pacemaker monitoring, 90 days Remote assessment of a pacemaker system, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless devices, performed up to 90 days apart. |
120 | $23 | $150 |
| Regadenoson injection (Lexiscan) for heart stress test An injection of regadenoson, a medication used to stress the heart during diagnostic testing. |
92 | $42 | $150 |
| Pacemaker programming, dual lead system Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings. |
86 | $79 | $303 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
86 | $187 | $1,171 |
| 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. |
81 | $102 | $364 |
| CT scan of heart with contrast A computed tomography scan that uses contrast dye to create detailed images of the heart's structure. |
77 | $73 | $1,630 |
| CT scan of heart for calcium evaluation A CT scan of the heart used to evaluate calcium levels in the blood vessels. |
58 | $23 | $148 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 58 | $192 | $697 |
| Remote monitoring of implantable heart rhythm device Evaluation of data transmitted remotely from an implantable cardiovascular monitor, such as a loop recorder or subcutaneous cardiac rhythm monitor, over a period up to 30 days. |
55 | $59 | $108 |
| 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. |
47 | $154 | $704 |
| Rubidium rb-82, diagnostic, per study dose, up to 60 millicuries | 46 | $417 | $865 |
| Continuous external EKG monitoring, 8-15 days This procedure involves recording heart rhythm continuously using an external EKG device over a period of 8 to 15 days. |
42 | $12 | $63 |
| External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm. |
42 | $22 | $101 |
| 3D radiographic procedure A radiographic imaging technique that creates three-dimensional representations of internal structures. |
33 | $25 | $337 |
| Stress echocardiogram with ECG monitoring An ultrasound of the heart performed while monitoring heart rhythm during rest, exercise, or medication-induced stress, followed by a review and report of the findings. |
31 | $207 | $1,082 |
| Pacemaker system programming Adjustment and testing of a multi-lead pacemaker to ensure proper function and settings. |
27 | $86 | $353 |
| CT scan of heart blood vessels and grafts with contrast A CT scan that uses contrast dye to create detailed images of the heart's blood vessels and any surgical grafts. |
25 | $104 | $641 |
| Nuclear stress test of heart muscle A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow to the heart muscle while at rest and during stress. |
23 | $1,543 | $9,059 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram under physician supervision and review. |
23 | $66 | $351 |
| 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. |
22 | $61 | $247 |
| Chest fluid aspiration with imaging guidance This procedure involves removing fluid from the chest cavity using imaging technology to guide the needle placement. |
20 | $102 | $1,990 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
20 | $94 | $575 |
| 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. |
18 | $105 | $378 |
| Continuous external EKG monitoring, 48 hours to 7 days This procedure involves recording the heart's electrical activity continuously using an external device for a period exceeding 48 hours but not more than 7 days. |
17 | $13 | $62 |
| Continuous EKG monitoring review, 48-7 days Review and interpretation of continuous external EKG recordings lasting more than 48 hours up to 7 days. |
17 | $21 | $91 |
| External shock to heart to regulate heart beat A procedure that delivers an electric shock to the heart from outside the body to restore a normal heart rhythm. |
16 | $99 | $987 |
| Follow-up ultrasound of heart blood flow, valves and chambers An ultrasound exam that follows up on the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. It uses sound waves to create images of the heart's structure and function. |
16 | $24 | $161 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
16 | $23 | $89 |
| Transesophageal echocardiogram An ultrasound of the heart performed using a probe inserted into the esophagus to obtain detailed images of heart structures and function. |
15 | $96 | $531 |
| Emergency department visit, high complexity An emergency department visit involving a high level of medical decision making. |
11 | $152 | $581 |
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.
22.4% high complexity
22.2% medium
55.4% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$3,815
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $636/year across 6 years
Bottom 24% in CA for clinical cardiac electrophysiology physician
22
Companies
153
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
$3,803 (99.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$12 (0.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$282
2023
$449
2022
$163
2020
$71
2019
$1,106
2018
$1,744
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$282
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Amgen Inc.
$871
Boston Scientific Corporation
$377
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$371
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$350
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$259
Ablacon, Inc.
$241
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$199
PFIZER INC.
$181
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$167
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$145
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$131
BIOTRONIK INC.
$112
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$108
Canon Medical Systems USA, Inc.
$68
Lundbeck LLC
$48
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$40
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$36
Relypsa, Inc.
$35
Abbott Laboratories
$29
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$23
Novo Nordisk Inc
$14
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 42.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BRILINTA · CardioMEMS HF System · Corlanor · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · Edarbi · INJECTAFER · JARDIANCE · KENGREAL · MULTAQ · NORTHERA · OPTIMIZER · Optimizer · Ozempic · PRADAXA · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · Repatha · Rhythmia Mapping System · UTIBRON · VYNDAQEL · Veltassa · WATCHMAN · 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 →
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Clinical cardiac electrophysiology physicians within 10 mi
13
Per 100K population
0.7
County median income
$159,674
Nearest hospital
STANFORD HEALTH CARE
4.1 mi
4.1 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. Smith is an electrophysiology & cardiac specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 29% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Smith experienced with office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Smith performed 622 office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) 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. Smith receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Smith received a total of $3,815 from 22 companies across 153 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. Smith's costs compare to other clinical cardiac electrophysiology physicians in E Palo Alto?
Dr. Smith's average Medicare payment per service is $98. 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. Smith) 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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