Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Christopher Suhar, M.D.
Nuclear Cardiology Physician · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Cardiac & Cardiac
— Practice combining cardiac 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. Suhar 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. Suhar
Dr. Christopher Suhar is a nuclear cardiology physician in La Jolla, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Suhar performed 3,672 Medicare services across 2,860 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Suhar received a total of $6,020 from 34 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 292 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in nuclear cardiology 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. Suhar 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.
✓ 18 years in practice
▲ Top 49% volume in CA
$6,020 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,672
Medicare services
Top 49% in CA for nuclear cardiology physician
2,860
Unique beneficiaries
$59
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~204 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
706 | $107 | $512 |
| EKG interpretation and report A standard electrocardiogram test that records the heart's electrical activity using at least 12 leads. The service includes a professional interpretation of the results and a written report. |
584 | $6 | $31 |
| 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. |
528 | $98 | $350 |
| Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation with ECG monitoring Supervised heart rehabilitation program including electrocardiogram monitoring and professional healthcare services. |
379 | $21 | $101 |
| Heart muscle strain imaging | 260 | $33 | $154 |
| Perflutren lipid microspheres injection Injection of perflutren lipid microspheres, measured per milliliter. |
213 | $35 | $138 |
| Regadenoson injection (Lexiscan) for heart stress test An injection of regadenoson, a medication used to stress the heart during diagnostic testing. |
212 | $46 | $203 |
| 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. |
96 | $141 | $491 |
| External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm. |
71 | $21 | $100 |
| 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. |
68 | $65 | $187 |
| 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. |
63 | $12 | $55 |
| 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. |
63 | $56 | $279 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 61 | $165 | $598 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
59 | $46 | $211 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
46 | $12 | $56 |
| 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. |
44 | $12 | $57 |
| Routine 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) A test that records the electrical activity of the heart using at least 12 leads to produce a tracing. |
42 | $6 | $25 |
| Continuous ECG monitoring, up to 30 days Continuous heart rhythm monitoring for up to 30 days, including professional review and reporting of the results. |
38 | $20 | $96 |
| 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. |
28 | $195 | $947 |
| 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. |
24 | $143 | $521 |
| 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. |
23 | $11 | $58 |
| 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. |
18 | $68 | $248 |
| 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. |
18 | $101 | $354 |
| Continuous EKG monitoring review, 48-7 days Review and interpretation of continuous external EKG recordings lasting more than 48 hours up to 7 days. |
15 | $19 | $91 |
| Ultrasound of heart with contrast injection An ultrasound of the heart is performed while injecting an X-ray contrast agent to improve the clarity of the images. |
13 | $28 | $135 |
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.
20.4% high complexity
24.3% medium
55.2% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$6,020
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $860/year across 7 years
Top 32% in CA for nuclear cardiology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
34
Companies
292
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
$6,020 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,023
2023
$629
2022
$1,168
2021
$1,343
2020
$698
2019
$583
2018
$576
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$176
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$154
Amgen Inc.
$125
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$104
Novo Nordisk Inc
$88
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$65
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$56
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$52
PFIZER INC.
$34
LANTHEUS MEDICAL IMAGING, INC.
$34
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$29
Kestra Medical Technology Services, Inc.
$29
Philips North America LLC
$22
Boston Scientific Corporation
$21
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$20
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 44.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,250
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$936
Medtronic, Inc.
$621
Amgen Inc.
$472
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$338
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$260
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$226
Novo Nordisk Inc
$211
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$178
PFIZER INC.
$173
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$156
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$127
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$114
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$107
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$99
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$91
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$91
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$66
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$65
Baxter Healthcare
$63
Boston Scientific Corporation
$59
Abbott Laboratories
$50
LANTHEUS MEDICAL IMAGING, INC.
$34
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$29
Kestra Medical Technology Services, Inc.
$29
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$25
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$23
Philips North America LLC
$22
HeartFlow, Inc.
$20
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$20
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$19
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$17
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$16
Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 46.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(CK4) MCOT · AMVUTTRA · ANDEXXA · Arcalyst · Assure WCD · BRILINTA · BYDUREON · CardioMEMS HF System · Confirm Rx · DEFINITY · Definity · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · EVKEEZA · Edarbyclor · FARXIGA · Hillrom - Cardiac Ambulatory Monitor · JARDIANCE · KENGREAL · LEQVIO · LEXISCAN · LINQ II · LifeVest · Livalo · NEXLETOL · Optimizer · Ozempic · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · Repatha · Reveal LINQ · Rybelsus · VERQUVO · VYNDAQEL · Vascepa · Veozah · WATCHMAN · WATCHMAN FLX · XARELTO · ZIO Patch · ZIO XT Patch · Zio monitor
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
Nuclear cardiology physicians within 10 mi
4
Per 100K population
0.1
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
SCRIPPS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL LA JOLLA
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. Suhar is a cardiac & cardiac specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 18 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. Suhar experienced with echocardiogram, transthoracic?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Suhar performed 706 echocardiogram, transthoracic 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. Suhar receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Suhar received a total of $6,020 from 34 companies across 292 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. Suhar's costs compare to other nuclear cardiology physicians in La Jolla?
Dr. Suhar's average Medicare payment per service is $59. 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. Suhar) 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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