Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Brian Belnap, D.O.
Pain Medicine (Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation) Physician · Encinitas, 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. Belnap 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. Belnap?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Belnap
Dr. Brian Belnap is a pain medicine physician in Encinitas, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Belnap performed 12,174 Medicare services across 2,005 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Belnap received a total of $752 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 40 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain medicine (physical medicine & rehabilitation) 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. Belnap 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 6% volume in CA
$752 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗12,174
Medicare services
Top 6% in CA for pain medicine (physical medicine & rehabilitation) physician
2,005
Unique beneficiaries
$40
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~641 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. |
4,880 | $1 | $4 |
| Hymovis intra-articular injection An injection of Hymovis, a hyaluronan derivative, administered directly into a joint space. |
2,156 | $13 | $29 |
| 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. |
2,006 | $103 | $265 |
| Contrast dye for imaging, lower concentration | 1,502 | $0 | $0 |
| 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. |
196 | $246 | $540 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
190 | $59 | $131 |
| Additional sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into an additional sacral spine nerve root level, guided by imaging. |
143 | $100 | $240 |
| 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. |
138 | $71 | $186 |
| 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. |
133 | $210 | $384 |
| 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. |
132 | $108 | $194 |
| 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 | $133 | $343 |
| 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. |
53 | $88 | $205 |
| 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. |
53 | $545 | $909 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
53 | $279 | $384 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
53 | $105 | $201 |
| 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. |
44 | $228 | $582 |
| Trigger point injection, 1-2 muscles A procedure involving the injection of medication into one or two specific muscles to treat trigger points. |
42 | $44 | $117 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 41 | $172 | $430 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
38 | $172 | $356 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
37 | $217 | $417 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement. |
36 | $110 | $207 |
| Ultrasound guidance for needle placement Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
36 | $51 | $200 |
| 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. |
28 | $145 | $386 |
| Trigger point injection, 3 or more muscles Injection of medication into three or more specific muscle trigger points to relieve pain. |
27 | $53 | $127 |
| Spinal injection with imaging guidance A procedure where medication is injected into the middle or upper part of the spinal canal. Imaging technology is used to guide the needle to the correct location. |
25 | $235 | $589 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into upper neck and back of head nerve An injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid into a nerve located in the upper neck and back of the head. |
23 | $63 | $151 |
| Electromyography of arm or leg muscles A test that measures the electrical activity in the muscles of the arm or leg using a needle electrode. It helps evaluate the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. |
23 | $87 | $195 |
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 ↗$752
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $107/year across 7 years
Bottom 34% in CA for pain medicine (physical medicine & rehabilitation) physician
20
Companies
40
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
$752 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$80
2023
$118
2022
$77
2021
$153
2020
$109
2019
$159
2018
$57
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$36
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$27
Elevate Surgical CO
$17
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Abbott Laboratories
$137
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$100
FIDIA PHARMA USA INC.
$86
PFIZER INC.
$41
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$38
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$36
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$34
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$29
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$29
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$27
Pacira Therapeutics, Inc.
$24
Assertio Therapeutics, Inc.
$23
Nevro Corp.
$23
Kaleo, Inc.
$22
Avanos Medical
$21
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$21
Elevate Surgical CO
$17
MEDLINE INDUSTRIES LP
$17
SI-BONE, Inc.
$14
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 43.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BUNAVAIL 2.1 mg 30-count box · Evzio · HYMOVIS · Hymovis · LYRICA · NALOCET · Nalu Neurostimulation System · NuDyn · Nucynta · ORTHOVISC · PROCLAIM · PRODIGY · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · SYNVISC-ONE · Senza · TRIVISC SODIUM HYALURONATE · XTAMPZA · ZTLido 30 POUCH in 1 CARTON 1 PATCH in 1 POUCH · Zilretta · iFuse Implant
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 medicine physicians within 10 mi
25
Per 100K population
0.8
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
SCRIPPS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL - ENCINITAS
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. Belnap is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% 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. Belnap experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Belnap performed 4,880 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. Belnap receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Belnap received a total of $752 from 20 companies across 40 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. Belnap's costs compare to other pain medicine physicians in Encinitas?
Dr. Belnap's average Medicare payment per service is $40. 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. Belnap) 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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