Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Elena Dembo-Smeaton, M.D.

Family Medicine · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
8950 VILLA LA JOLLA DR STE C129, La Jolla, CA 92037
8584505900
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1184795296 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. Dembo-Smeaton 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. Dembo-Smeaton

Dr. Elena Dembo-Smeaton is a family medicine specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Dembo-Smeaton performed 340 Medicare services across 315 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Dembo-Smeaton received a total of $4,970 from 50 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 239 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. 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. Dembo-Smeaton 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 ▲ 340 Medicare services $4,970 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
340
Medicare services
Bottom 46% in CA for family medicine
315
Unique beneficiaries
$59
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~18 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.
57 $83 $175
Annual wellness visit, follow-up
A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service.
54 $138 $200
Annual alcohol misuse screening, 5 to 15 minutes 53 $20 $25
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.
42 $68 $131
Annual depression screening 42 $20 $25
Flu vaccine administration
This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient.
23 $29 $30
Flu vaccine, high-dose
High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe.
22 $72 $85
Urinalysis, manual
A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells.
17 $3 $18
Pneumonia vaccine administration
This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider.
17 $29 $30
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.
13 $10 $45
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 ↗
$4,970
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $710/year across 7 years
Top 8% in CA for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
50
Companies
239
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
$4,935 (99.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$34 (0.7%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$879
2023
$757
2022
$842
2021
$328
2020
$750
2019
$810
2018
$603

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$145
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$126
Medtronic, Inc.
$100
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$60
PFIZER INC.
$59
Hologic Sales and Service, LLC
$57
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$53
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$52
ABBVIE INC.
$39
Exact Sciences Corporation
$38
Amgen Inc.
$32
Lilly USA, LLC
$31
Seqirus USA Inc
$29
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$23
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$20
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 42.2% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$1,152
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$341
Lilly USA, LLC
$264
Allergan, Inc.
$246
PFIZER INC.
$200
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$182
Novo Nordisk Inc
$159
Medtronic, Inc.
$146
Allergan Inc.
$144
AbbVie Inc.
$140
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$130
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$126
ABBVIE INC.
$125
Seqirus USA Inc
$107
Amgen Inc.
$101
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$98
Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
$94
Exact Sciences Corporation
$94
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$79
Hologic, LLC
$75
AbbVie, Inc.
$61
Hologic Sales and Service, LLC
$57
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$55
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$54
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$52
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$50
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$50
Shield Therapeutics Inc
$46
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$43
VBI Vaccine (Delaware) Inc.
$40
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$39
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$36
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$34
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$34
Cranial Technologies, Inc
$29
Nevro Corp.
$24
Eisai Inc.
$24
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$23
Organon LLC
$23
QorumPartners
$22
VBI Vaccines (Delaware) Inc.
$21
Terumo BCT, Inc.
$20
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
Avion Pharmaceuticals
$19
Lundbeck LLC
$18
TherapeuticsMD, Inc.
$17
Phadia US Inc.
$16
CooperSurgical, Inc.
$15
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$13
Shire North American Group Inc
$12
Top 3 companies account for 35.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCRUFER · ADACEL · ADVAIR · ANNOVERA · APTIMA · AREXVY · Afluria · Aptima Combo 2 · BEVESPI AEROSPHERE · BEXSERO · BREATHTEK · BREZTRI · BYSTOLIC · Balcoltra · COLOGUARD DNA CAPTURE REAGENTS · Coala Heart Monitor · Cologuard Collection Kit · Cotesting · Dayvigo · Doc Band · EMGALITY · EVENITY · Enbrel · FARXIGA · FASENRA · FLECTOR · FLUBLOK QUADRIVALENT NORTHERN HEMISPHERE · FLUCELVAX QUADRIVALENT · FLUZONE QUADRIVALENT NORTHERN HEMISPHERE · Flexitouch Plus · Fluad · HARVEST BMAC · INJECTAFER · INTRAROSA · INVOKANA · ImmunoCAP · JANUVIA · Kerendia · LEQVIO · LINQ II · LO LOESTRIN FE · MENACTRA · MINIMED 770G · MOUNJARO · MYRBETRIQ · NO PRODUCT DISCUSSED · NURTEC ODT · Omnia · Otezla · Ozempic · PREVNAR - 13 · PREVNAR 20 · Paragard · PreHevbrio · QUADRACEL · REXULTI · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SPRAVATO · SYMBICORT · Saxenda · THINPREP 2000 PROCESSOR · TRADJENTA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRUMENBA · Tirosint · UBRELVY · VIIBRYD · VOQUEZNA · VPRIV · VRAYLAR · Vascepa · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · XIGDUO
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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 8% for family medicine in CA.

Looking for a family medicine specialist in La Jolla?
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Geographic Context

Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
1,395
Per 100K population
42.5
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. Dembo-Smeaton is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 8% 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. Dembo-Smeaton experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Dembo-Smeaton performed 57 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. Dembo-Smeaton receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Dembo-Smeaton received a total of $4,970 from 50 companies across 239 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. Dembo-Smeaton's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in La Jolla?
Dr. Dembo-Smeaton'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. Dembo-Smeaton) 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 →