Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Alex Metzger, M.D.

Hematology & Oncology · Greenbrae, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
1350 S ELISEO DR, Greenbrae, CA 94904
4159255000
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1821070590 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. Metzger 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. Metzger? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Metzger

Dr. Alex Metzger is a hematology & oncology specialist in Greenbrae, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Metzger performed 16,285 Medicare services across 984 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Metzger received a total of $505 from 5 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 27 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in hematology & oncology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Metzger 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.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ Top 25% volume in CA $505 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
16,285
Medicare services
Top 25% in CA for hematology & oncology
984
Unique beneficiaries
$30
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~814 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
Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) 8,520 $19 $50
Dexamethasone injection (steroid)
An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram.
1,954 $0 $0
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.
872 $109 $310
Anti-nausea injection (Aloxi/palonosetron) 760 $1 $56
Anti-nausea injection (ondansetron/Zofran) 632 $0 $0
Leuprolide acetate (for depot suspension), 7.5 mg 585 $136 $550
Pegfilgrastim injection, 0.5 mg
An injection of pegfilgrastim, a medication that stimulates the production of white blood cells. This specific code applies to the brand-name drug and excludes biosimilar versions.
396 $77 $833
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle
A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle.
388 $13 $78
Normal saline infusion, 1000 cc
Administration of 1000 cc of normal saline solution into a vein. This procedure involves the intravenous delivery of a sterile saltwater solution.
387 $2 $5
Intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance
Administration of an additional new medication or substance directly into a vein.
364 $16 $80
Subcutaneous or intramuscular chemotherapy injection
This procedure involves administering anti-cancer hormonal medication through an injection into the tissue under the skin or into a muscle.
299 $34 $100
Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy
This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period.
296 $28 $120
Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less
Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete.
235 $139 $432
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.
165 $166 $415
Irrigation of implanted venous access device
This procedure involves flushing an implanted venous access device to clear blockages or maintain patency. It ensures the device remains functional for delivering medications or fluids.
141 $26 $80
Diphenhydramine injection, up to 50 mg
An injection of diphenhydramine hydrochloride, an antihistamine medication, administered in a dose of up to 50 milligrams.
59 $1 $2
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.
57 $106 $288
Intravenous infusion of new drug or substance, 1 hour or less
This procedure involves administering a new medication or substance directly into a vein through an existing access site. The infusion is completed within one hour or less.
56 $67 $203
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 51 $191 $585
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.
24 $76 $215
Venipuncture for blood collection
A procedure to draw blood from a vein for medical testing or analysis.
23 $82 $300
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.
21 $147 $465
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.
4.2% high complexity
83.9% medium
11.9% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$505
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $72/year across 7 years
Bottom 26% in CA for hematology & oncology
5
Companies
27
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$403 (79.7%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$102 (20.3%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$57
2023
$66
2022
$15
2021
$272
2020
$33
2019
$42
2018
$20

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medtronic, Inc.
$35
Celgene Corporation
$22
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
PFIZER INC.
$403
Celgene Corporation
$36
Medtronic, Inc.
$35
Boston Scientific Corporation
$16
EMD Serono, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 93.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BRAFTOVI · IBRANCE · INLYTA · LORBRENA · MYLOTARG · OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION SYSTEM · REBLOZYL · TEPMETKO · WATCHMAN · XALKORI
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 →

The majority of payments (80%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in hematology & oncology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Looking for a hematology & oncology specialist in Greenbrae?
Compare hematology & oncology specialists in the Greenbrae area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse hematology & oncology specialists nearby

Geographic Context

Hematology & oncology specialists within 10 mi
72
Per 100K population
27.8
County median income
$142,785
Nearest hospital
MARINHEALTH MEDICAL CENTER
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. Metzger is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 25% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement, with 20 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. Metzger experienced with denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Metzger performed 8,520 denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva) 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. Metzger receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Metzger received a total of $505 from 5 companies across 27 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. Metzger's costs compare to other hematology & oncology specialists in Greenbrae?
Dr. Metzger's average Medicare payment per service is $30. 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. Metzger) 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 →