Medicare Enrolled
Dr. James Heywood, M.D.
Cardiovascular Disease · 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. Heywood 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. Heywood
Dr. James Heywood is a cardiovascular disease specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Heywood performed 3,555 Medicare services across 2,836 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Heywood received a total of $1,331,148 from 47 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1998 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. Heywood 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 30% volume in CA
$1,331,148 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,555
Medicare services
Top 30% in CA for cardiovascular disease
2,836
Unique beneficiaries
$59
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~178 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
916 | $6 | $31 |
| 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. |
579 | $100 | $350 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
418 | $90 | $437 |
| Heart muscle strain imaging | 245 | $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. |
181 | $11 | $55 |
| 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. |
158 | $65 | $187 |
| Remote monitoring of pulmonary artery pressure sensor This procedure involves the remote tracking of pressure readings from a sensor in the pulmonary artery over a period of up to 30 days. |
154 | $36 | $191 |
| Perflutren lipid microspheres injection Injection of perflutren lipid microspheres, measured per milliliter. |
134 | $35 | $138 |
| 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. |
121 | $141 | $492 |
| 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. |
98 | $67 | $248 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
86 | $97 | $269 |
| Critical care, first 30-74 min Emergency medical care for a critically ill or injured patient lasting between 30 and 74 minutes. This service involves direct patient care and medical decision making to stabilize the patient. |
84 | $172 | $752 |
| Continuous ECG monitoring, up to 30 days Continuous heart rhythm monitoring for up to 30 days, including professional review and reporting of the results. |
52 | $21 | $96 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
51 | $143 | $520 |
| 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. |
35 | $141 | $453 |
| External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm. |
34 | $21 | $100 |
| 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. |
31 | $201 | $947 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
31 | $107 | $354 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
27 | $42 | $197 |
| Hospital discharge day management, 30 minutes or less This service covers the final day of hospital care when the patient is being discharged. It includes coordination of care and instructions for the patient within a time frame of 30 minutes or less. |
19 | $67 | $191 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 17 | $156 | $598 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
16 | $12 | $55 |
| 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. |
15 | $15 | $68 |
| Continuous EKG monitoring review, 48-7 days Review and interpretation of continuous external EKG recordings lasting more than 48 hours up to 7 days. |
14 | $19 | $91 |
| Exercise-induced lung stress test A test performed to evaluate how the lungs function during physical exertion. It helps identify breathing difficulties or lung conditions that occur specifically when exercising. |
14 | $27 | $110 |
| 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. |
13 | $10 | $58 |
| 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. |
12 | $31 | $135 |
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.
12.2% high complexity
13.5% medium
74.3% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$1,331,148
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $190,164/year across 7 years
Top 0% in CA for cardiovascular disease
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
47
Companies
1,998
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
$681,898 (51.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$641,495 (48.2%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$7,755 (0.6%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$161,891
2023
$144,585
2022
$185,246
2021
$131,192
2020
$157,881
2019
$286,962
2018
$263,391
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$56,005
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$32,115
United Therapeutics Corporation
$19,366
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18,994
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15,247
SCPHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$5,916
Lilly USA, LLC
$5,100
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$4,643
CVRx, Inc.
$3,557
Abbott Laboratories
$239
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$204
Medtronic, Inc.
$91
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$89
PFIZER INC.
$75
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$65
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$38
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$33
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$32
Novo Nordisk Inc
$22
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$19
ViiV Healthcare Company
$18
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$18
Analog Devices Inc.
$7
Top 3 companies account for 66.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Abbott Laboratories
$219,158
Boston Scientific Corporation
$208,606
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$200,570
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$169,080
ImpediMed, Inc.
$143,103
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$136,634
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$43,771
Lilly USA, LLC
$42,736
United Therapeutics Corporation
$30,218
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$20,932
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18,426
BIOTRONIK INC.
$15,740
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15,261
SCPHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$10,693
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$9,806
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$9,333
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$7,969
Relypsa, Inc.
$5,209
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$5,113
PFIZER INC.
$3,686
CVRx, Inc.
$3,598
Novo Nordisk Inc
$2,775
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$2,606
Vifor Pharma, Inc.
$2,138
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$1,155
Medtronic, Inc.
$708
ABIOMED
$630
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$517
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$241
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$120
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$113
Lundbeck LLC
$58
NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
$55
Cardiac Dimensions, Inc.
$41
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$39
Amgen Inc.
$35
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$35
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$33
BAXTER HEALTHCARE
$33
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$32
Celgene Corporation
$32
Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.
$25
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$22
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$22
ViiV Healthcare Company
$18
Baxter Healthcare
$16
Analog Devices Inc.
$7
Top 3 companies account for 47.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(5044) MCOT · 2ND GEN CENTRIMAG PRIMARY CONSOLE · AMPLATZER AMULET · Adempas · Allure CRT Pacemaker · Allure Quadra RF CRT Pacemaker · Arcalyst · Assurity Pacemaker · Attain · Azure · BRILINTA · Barostim Neo System · BioMonitor · CABENUVA · CAMZYOS · CARDIOMEMS · CLEVIPREX · CLINICAL TRIAL PRODUCT · COBALT DR MRI SURESCAN · CRT-Ds · CardioMEMS HF System · CareLink · Circulatory Support · Claria MRI · Clinical Trial Product · Cobalt · Confirm Rx · Connect HF · CoreValve Evolut · Corlanor · ELIQUIS · ENSITE · ENTRESTO · Edora 8 DR-T · EnSite X · Ensite Cardiac Mapping System · Evera · FARXIGA · FLOSEAL · FUROSCIX · General - Therapies · HeartMate · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Dev · HeartMate Touch · HeartWare HVAD · Hillrom - Cardiac Ambulatory Monitor · INJECTAFER · Iforia 5 VR-T DX · Impella · Inpefa · JARDIANCE · Kerendia · LEQVIO · LINQ II · LifeVest · MICRA · MITRACLIP · MULTAQ · Micra · Mitra Clip system · NORTHERA · OPSUMIT · OPSUMIT MACITENTAN · ORENITRAM · Optimizer · Ozempic · Percepta · Quadra Assura CRT Defibrillator · REMODULIN · RESONATE · Repatha · Reveal LINQ · Rhythmia Mapping System · Rybelsus · SAMSCA · Sensinel CPM Wearable · Solia · TEGSEDI · THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · TRULICITY · TYVASO · UPTRAVI · Unify Assura CRT Defibrillator · VERQUVO · VIGILANT · VYNDAQEL · Veltassa · Verquvo · WAINUA · WATCHMAN · WATCHMAN Access System · WATCHMAN FLX · WINREVAIR · 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 (51%) 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 0% for cardiovascular disease in CA.
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
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. Heywood is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 30% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 0% of CA peers, 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. Heywood experienced with ekg interpretation and report?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Heywood performed 916 ekg interpretation and report 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. Heywood receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Heywood received a total of $1,331,148 from 47 companies across 1,998 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. Heywood's costs compare to other cardiologists in La Jolla?
Dr. Heywood'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. Heywood) 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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