Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Cora Humberson, MD

Cytopathology Physician · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
10666 N TORREY PINES RD, La Jolla, CA 92037
8585549100
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1154408763 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. Humberson 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. Humberson

Dr. Cora Humberson is a cytopathology physician in La Jolla, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Humberson performed 4,157 Medicare services across 2,575 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Humberson received a total of $116 from 4 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 6 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cytopathology 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. Humberson 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 $116 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
4,157
Medicare services
Top 6% in CA for cytopathology physician
2,575
Unique beneficiaries
$67
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~219 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
Tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity
A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This intermediate complexity procedure involves specialized techniques to identify abnormalities in the tissue.
 2,532 $61 $284
Tissue staining for diagnosis, additional
An extra laboratory procedure to apply special stains to tissue slides for detailed examination.
 707 $76 $140
Tissue staining for diagnosis, initial
A laboratory test where special stains are applied to tissue slides to help examine the cells and identify specific characteristics.
 440 $89 $169
Special stain test for organisms
A laboratory test using special stains on tissue slides to identify microorganisms. The process includes the technical preparation of the slides and a professional interpretation of the results.
 150 $87 $111
Special tissue stain and interpretation
A laboratory test using special stains to examine tissue samples, including the pathologist's review and written report of the findings.
 89 $43 $56
Additional antibody stain test
An additional laboratory test using a single antibody stain to evaluate specific markers.
 75 $53 $146
Pathology tissue examination, moderate complexity
A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to identify abnormalities. This specific level indicates a moderate degree of complexity in the analysis.
 67 $37 $178
Surgical pathology consultation on referred slides
A pathologist reviews and reports on tissue slides that were prepared at another facility. This service provides a second opinion or expert analysis of the existing samples.
 48 $76 $367
Initial single antibody stain evaluation
A laboratory test that uses a single antibody stain to evaluate specific proteins or markers in a sample.
 25 $69 $168
Surgical pathology consultation with slide preparation
A specialist reviews tissue samples sent by another provider, preparing necessary slides for examination. The specialist then provides a diagnostic report based on this analysis.
 13 $94 $477
Genetic analysis of archival tissue
Testing stored tissue samples to identify genetic information. This procedure analyzes existing tissue specimens for genetic markers.
 11 $20 $87
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 ↗
$116
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $29/year across 4 years
Top 47% in CA for cytopathology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
4
Companies
6
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
$116 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$18
2022
$21
2019
$36
2018
$40

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$18
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Genentech USA, Inc.
$61
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$19
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$18
Seattle Genetics, Inc.
$18
Top 3 companies account for 84.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADCETRIS · Herceptin · KEYTRUDA · OPDIVO
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 cytopathology physician in La Jolla?
Compare cytopathology physicians in the La Jolla area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Cytopathology physicians within 10 mi
27
Per 100K population
0.8
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
SCRIPPS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL LA JOLLA
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. Humberson is a mixed practice 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. Humberson experienced with tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Humberson performed 2,532 tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity 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. Humberson receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Humberson received a total of $116 from 4 companies across 6 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. Humberson's costs compare to other cytopathology physicians in La Jolla?
Dr. Humberson's average Medicare payment per service is $67. 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. Humberson) 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.

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 →