Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Skye Heston, M.D.

Family Medicine · Eureka, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
2280 HARRISON AVE STE B, Eureka, CA 95501
7074439371
In practice since 2013 (13 years)
NPI: 1548503717 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. Heston 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. Heston

Dr. Skye Heston is a family medicine specialist in Eureka, CA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Heston performed 5,589 Medicare services across 2,396 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Heston received a total of $138 from 3 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 4 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family 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. Heston 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.

✓ 13 years in practice ▲ Top 3% volume in CA $138 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
5,589
Medicare services
Top 3% in CA for family medicine
2,396
Unique beneficiaries
$52
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~430 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.
2,268 $1 $16
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.
925 $86 $345
Betamethasone steroid injection
An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate.
463 $5 $30
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.
365 $61 $245
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
239 $53 $200
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.
208 $100 $447
Annual wellness visit, follow-up
A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service.
196 $132 $354
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.
187 $88 $310
Hyaluronan intra-articular injection
An injection of hyaluronan or a derivative into a joint to provide lubrication and cushioning.
106 $555 $1,515
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.
67 $63 $185
Flu vaccine administration
This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient.
65 $29 $30
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 $136 $514
Flu vaccine, high-dose
High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe.
63 $68 $117
Office visit for established patient
An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present.
52 $18 $65
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint
Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint.
51 $40 $155
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint
Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space.
48 $44 $163
Tendon or ligament injection
A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament.
35 $35 $163
Pneumonia vaccine administration
This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider.
29 $29 $30
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20)
An intramuscular injection of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It is used to protect against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.
28 $282 $567
Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring)
A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months.
25 $10 $32
New patient office visit (30-44 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range.
24 $73 $302
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity
Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
22 $100 $350
Injection of carpal tunnel 16 $75 $273
Hyaluronan gel injection for joint
An injection of hyaluronan gel into a joint to supplement joint fluid. This procedure is administered as a single dose.
16 $386 $5,490
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.
15 $92 $276
Ultrasound-guided small joint aspiration or injection
This procedure involves removing fluid from or injecting medication into a small joint while using ultrasound imaging to guide the needle placement.
12 $74 $265
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 ↗
$138
Total received (2020-2024)
Avg $34/year across 4 years
Bottom 39% in CA for family medicine
3
Companies
4
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
$138 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$98
2022
$15
2021
$14
2020
$12

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Endo USA, Inc.
$98
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2020-2024) ›
Endo USA, Inc.
$98
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$26
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
MONOVISC · XIAFLEX
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.

Looking for a family medicine specialist in Eureka?
Compare family medicine physicians in the Eureka area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
100
Per 100K population
73.8
County median income
$61,135
Nearest hospital
PROVIDENCE ST JOSEPH HOSPITAL
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. Heston is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% 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. Heston experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Heston performed 2,268 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. Heston receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Heston received a total of $138 from 3 companies across 4 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. Heston's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Eureka?
Dr. Heston's average Medicare payment per service is $52. 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. Heston) 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 →