Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Daniel Zelac, M.D.
Dermatology · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
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. Zelac 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. Zelac
Dr. Daniel Zelac is a dermatology specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Zelac performed 1,494 Medicare services across 1,055 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Zelac received a total of $42,300 from 36 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 228 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in dermatology. 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. Zelac 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
▲ 1,494 Medicare services
$42,300 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,494
Medicare services
Bottom 36% in CA for dermatology
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
1,055
Unique beneficiaries
$159
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~79 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
373 | $67 | $248 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14 This procedure involves the removal or destruction of two to fourteen precancerous skin lesions. It is performed to eliminate abnormal skin cells that have the potential to develop into cancer. |
295 | $6 | $28 |
| Skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks This procedure involves the removal of a growth from the head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. The removed tissue is then examined under a microscope in the laboratory. |
182 | $469 | $2,660 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1 Removal of a single precancerous skin growth. This procedure destroys abnormal skin cells to prevent them from developing into cancer. |
92 | $45 | $266 |
| Removal and microscopic exam of growth of head, neck, hands, feet, or genitals, each additional stage, 1-5 tissue blocks | 79 | $361 | $1,631 |
| 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. |
75 | $102 | $350 |
| Skin biopsy, tangential A procedure to remove a sample of the first identified skin growth for laboratory examination. |
67 | $79 | $414 |
| Destruction of skin growths (warts/lesions), 1-14 This procedure involves the removal or destruction of one to fourteen skin growths. It is a minor surgical intervention performed on the skin surface. |
58 | $97 | $458 |
| Intermediate wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm A medical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. This type of repair involves cleaning the wound and stitching it closed to promote healing. |
35 | $154 | $1,214 |
| Skin growth removal and lab exam, 1-5 blocks A procedure to remove a growth from the trunk, arms, or legs and send 1 to 5 tissue samples to a laboratory for microscopic examination. |
34 | $468 | $2,504 |
| Additional skin growth biopsy Removal of a sample of an additional skin growth for laboratory examination. This code is used for each extra lesion biopsied during the same session. |
31 | $45 | $205 |
| Intermediate repair of wound of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth, 2.6-5.0 cm | 29 | $150 | $1,260 |
| 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. |
28 | $55 | $305 |
| Complicated wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm A complex surgical procedure to close a wound measuring between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters on areas such as the face, neck, hands, or feet. |
25 | $216 | $1,872 |
| Skin graft repair of eyelid, nose, ear, or lip, 10 sq cm or less A surgical procedure to repair a wound on the eyelid, nose, ear, or lip by transferring a small piece of skin. The transferred skin covers an area of 10 square centimeters or less. |
21 | $601 | $2,964 |
| Full thickness skin graft to nose, ears, eyelids, or lips, 20 sq cm or less A surgical procedure where a full layer of skin is taken from a donor site and transplanted to the nose, ears, eyelids, or lips. The graft covers an area of 20 square centimeters or less. |
16 | $791 | $3,863 |
| Destruction of 15 or more precancerous skin growths This procedure involves the removal or destruction of fifteen or more precancerous skin lesions. It is performed to treat abnormal skin cells that have the potential to develop into cancer. |
15 | $145 | $674 |
| Complicated wound repair, scalp/arms/legs, 2.6-7.5 cm A complex surgical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters in length. |
14 | $216 | $1,699 |
| Skin graft repair, 10.1-30 sq cm A surgical procedure to repair wounds on the forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, neck, underarms, genitals, hands, or feet by transferring skin. The graft covers an area between 10.1 and 30.0 square centimeters. |
13 | $742 | $3,560 |
| Skin substitute graft application, 25 sq cm or less Application of a skin substitute graft to a wound on the face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, around eyes, genitals, hands, feet, fingers, or toes. The wound area covered is 25.0 square centimeters or less. |
12 | $81 | $627 |
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 ↗$42,300
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $6,043/year across 7 years
Top 7% in CA for dermatology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
36
Companies
228
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
$37,687 (89.1%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$3,984 (9.4%)
Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$629 (1.5%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,986
2023
$13,965
2022
$18,279
2021
$5,461
2020
$1,226
2019
$528
2018
$854
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$368
ABBVIE INC.
$244
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$234
Lilly USA, LLC
$170
Acera Surgical, Inc.
$155
GENZYME CORPORATION
$146
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$136
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$125
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$97
Incyte Corporation
$83
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$63
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$35
UCB, Inc.
$32
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$28
Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$24
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$18
Organogenesis Inc.
$17
Biofrontera Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 42.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$20,826
GENZYME CORPORATION
$17,085
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$656
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$601
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$513
Lilly USA, LLC
$394
ABBVIE INC.
$278
PFIZER INC.
$243
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$234
AbbVie, Inc.
$196
Acera Surgical, Inc.
$155
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$147
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$139
Incyte Corporation
$104
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$97
UCB, Inc.
$78
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$63
Ortho Dermatologics, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$55
LEO Pharma Inc.
$52
Amgen Inc.
$50
Medline Industries, Inc.
$35
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$35
AbbVie Inc.
$31
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$25
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$24
Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$24
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$20
Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
Seattle Genetics, Inc.
$18
Genentech USA, Inc.
$17
Organogenesis Inc.
$17
Glenmark Therapeutics Inc.
$15
Bioventus LLC
$14
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$13
Biofrontera Inc.
$12
DERMIRA, INC.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 91.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ABSORICA (isotretinoin) · ABSORICA LD · ADBRY · ADCETRIS · AMELUZ · Bimzelx · CIBINQO · COSENTYX · Cimzia · Clindamycin Phosphate and Benzoyl Peroxide · DERMATITIS - DISEASE · DUPIXENT · ENSTILAR · EPIDUO FORTE · EUCRISA · Erivedge · FERAHEME · Humira · Hyalomatrix Wound Device · ILUMYA · IMLYGIC · Integra · JUBLIA · LIBTAYO · Mupirocin Cream · OLUMIANT · OPDIVO · OPZELURA · Otezla · RINVOQ · Restrata Wound Matrix · SILIQ · SIVEXTRO · SKYRIZI · STRAVIX · Sotyktu · TALTZ · TREMFYA · Tremfya · VTAMA · Winlevi · YCANTH · Zoryve
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 (89%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in dermatology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for dermatology in CA.
Geographic Context
Dermatologists within 10 mi
255
Per 100K population
7.8
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. Zelac is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 7% of CA peers, 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. Zelac experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Zelac performed 373 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 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. Zelac receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Zelac received a total of $42,300 from 36 companies across 228 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. Zelac's costs compare to other dermatologists in La Jolla?
Dr. Zelac's average Medicare payment per service is $159. 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. Zelac) 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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