Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Douglas Triffon, M.D.

Cardiovascular Disease · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Cardiac & Cardiac — Practice combining cardiac and cardiac services
Speaking/Promotional
10820 N TORREY PINES RD, La Jolla, CA 92037
8585543332
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1952358632 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. Triffon 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. Triffon? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Triffon

Dr. Douglas Triffon is a cardiovascular disease specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Triffon performed 4,555 Medicare services across 3,042 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Triffon received a total of $301,140 from 35 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 752 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cardiovascular disease. 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. Triffon 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 22% volume in CA $301,140 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
4,555
Medicare services
Top 22% in CA for cardiovascular disease
3,042
Unique beneficiaries
$58
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~240 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 (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.
1,382 $99 $350
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.
826 $6 $31
Echocardiogram, transthoracic
An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function.
699 $105 $512
Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation with ECG monitoring
Supervised heart rehabilitation program including electrocardiogram monitoring and professional healthcare services.
606 $22 $101
Perflutren lipid microspheres injection
Injection of perflutren lipid microspheres, measured per milliliter.
271 $35 $138
Heart muscle strain imaging 268 $33 $154
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.
118 $12 $55
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.
57 $67 $248
Follow-up heart ultrasound
An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress.
55 $57 $266
Routine 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG)
A test that records the electrical activity of the heart using at least 12 leads to produce a tracing.
48 $6 $25
External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days
Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm.
42 $21 $100
Continuous ECG monitoring, up to 30 days
Continuous heart rhythm monitoring for up to 30 days, including professional review and reporting of the results.
37 $20 $96
Echocardiogram with color Doppler
An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function.
29 $16 $73
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.
28 $15 $69
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.
24 $208 $947
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.
22 $65 $187
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.
16 $31 $135
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.
15 $108 $453
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.
12 $11 $58
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.
16.0% high complexity
14.6% medium
69.5% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$301,140
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $43,020/year across 7 years
Top 3% in CA for cardiovascular disease
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
35
Companies
752
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
$293,685 (97.5%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$4,165 (1.4%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$3,290 (1.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,040
2023
$2,217
2022
$15,904
2021
$34,433
2020
$30,734
2019
$89,149
2018
$127,664

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$224
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$223
Amgen Inc.
$139
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$76
Novo Nordisk Inc
$72
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$65
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$59
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$42
PFIZER INC.
$34
Kestra Medical Technology Services, Inc.
$29
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$24
Boston Scientific Corporation
$21
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$17
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$16
Top 3 companies account for 56.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$108,454
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$58,458
Amgen Inc.
$46,715
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$36,046
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$35,332
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$9,706
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$3,996
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$333
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$328
Novo Nordisk Inc
$253
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$191
Abbott Laboratories
$156
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$128
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$116
PFIZER INC.
$101
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$99
Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc.
$86
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$65
Baxter Healthcare
$63
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$59
Celgene Corporation
$56
Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.
$52
Boston Scientific Corporation
$44
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$42
Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$39
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$37
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$29
Kestra Medical Technology Services, Inc.
$29
Amryt Pharma Holdings Ltd
$26
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$25
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$23
HeartFlow, Inc.
$20
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$16
ASCEND Therapeutics US, LLC
$14
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$2
Top 3 companies account for 70.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(820) Cholbam · AMVUTTRA · ANDEXXA · Arcalyst · Assure WCD · BRILINTA · BYDUREON · CAMZYOS · Cholbam · Confirm Rx · Corlanor · DEFINITY · Definity · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · ESTROGEL · EVKEEZA · Edarbyclor · FARXIGA · Hillrom - Cardiac Ambulatory Monitor · INVOKANA · JARDIANCE · JUXTAPID · Juxtapid · LEQVIO · LEXISCAN · Livalo · MULTAQ · Mitra Clip system · NEXLETOL · NEXLIZET · Optimizer · Ozempic · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · Repatha · Rybelsus · TEGSEDI · VERQUVO · VYNDAQEL · Vascepa · WATCHMAN · WATCHMAN FLX · XARELTO · ZIO Patch · ZIO XT Patch
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 (98%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in cardiovascular disease and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for cardiovascular disease in CA.

Looking for a cardiovascular disease specialist in La Jolla?
Compare cardiologists in the La Jolla area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Cardiologists within 10 mi
248
Per 100K population
7.6
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. Triffon is a cardiac & cardiac specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 22% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 3% 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. Triffon experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Triffon performed 1,382 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Triffon receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Triffon received a total of $301,140 from 35 companies across 752 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. Triffon's costs compare to other cardiologists in La Jolla?
Dr. Triffon's average Medicare payment per service is $58. 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. Triffon) 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.

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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 →