Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Heather Doherty, M.D.

Geriatric Medicine (Internal Medicine) Physician · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
10666 N TORREY PINES RD, La Jolla, CA 92037
8585547226
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1255319802 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. Doherty 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. Doherty

Dr. Heather Doherty is a geriatric medicine physician in La Jolla, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Doherty performed 2,270 Medicare services across 802 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Doherty received a total of $1,102 from 9 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 18 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in geriatric medicine (internal medicine) 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. Doherty 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.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ Top 22% volume in CA $1,102 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
2,270
Medicare services
Top 22% in CA for geriatric medicine (internal medicine) physician
802
Unique beneficiaries
$49
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~114 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
Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) 1,140 $17 $72
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.
391 $98 $350
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.
293 $70 $248
Annual wellness visit, follow-up
A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service.
119 $137 $359
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
65 $1 $8
Flu vaccine administration
This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient.
55 $33 $45
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.
50 $135 $491
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.
48 $72 $191
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle
A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle.
36 $12 $46
Routine 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG)
A test that records the electrical activity of the heart using at least 12 leads to produce a tracing.
32 $6 $25
Pneumonia vaccine administration
This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider.
16 $33 $45
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
14 $57 $304
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20)
An intramuscular injection of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It is used to protect against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.
11 $280 $860
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 2023 ↗
$1,102
Total received (2018-2023)
Avg $276/year across 4 years
Top 27% in CA for geriatric medicine (internal medicine) physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
9
Companies
18
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
$1,102 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2023
$79
2022
$19
2019
$228
2018
$777

Payments by company (2023)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$64
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$14
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2023 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2023) ›
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$468
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$238
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$112
Novo Nordisk Inc
$95
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$78
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$64
Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company
$19
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$15
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$14
Top 3 companies account for 74.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AJOVY · AREXVY · BEVESPI AEROSPHERE · BROVANA · FASENRA · IMBRUVICA · LONHALA MAGNAIR · NEXPLANON · QUVIVIQ · SHINGRIX · Tresiba · Utibron
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 geriatric medicine physician in La Jolla?
Compare geriatric medicine physicians in the La Jolla area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Geriatric medicine physicians within 10 mi
75
Per 100K population
2.3
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 2023
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. Doherty is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 22% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 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. Doherty experienced with denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Doherty performed 1,140 denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva) 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. Doherty receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Doherty received a total of $1,102 from 9 companies across 18 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. Doherty's costs compare to other geriatric medicine physicians in La Jolla?
Dr. Doherty's average Medicare payment per service is $49. 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. Doherty) 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 →