Dr. James Hwang, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Hwang
Dr. James Hwang is an emergency medicine specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hwang performed 1,459 Medicare services across 1,419 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hwang received a total of $337 from 2 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 2 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in emergency medicine. 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. Hwang 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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. |
409 | $7 | $55 |
| Emergency department visit, high complexity An emergency department visit involving a high level of medical decision making. |
286 | $144 | $1,220 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
233 | $21 | $337 |
| 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. |
193 | $186 | $1,555 |
| Emergency department visit, moderate complexity An emergency department visit for an established or new patient involving a moderate level of medical decision making. |
179 | $100 | $765 |
| Ultrasound scan of chest An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the structures inside the chest. |
57 | $22 | $125 |
| 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. |
26 | $106 | $942 |
| Ultrasound guidance for blood vessel access Use of ultrasound imaging to help locate and access a blood vessel. This guidance assists healthcare providers in performing procedures such as inserting IV lines or drawing blood. |
19 | $11 | $96 |
| Emergency department visit, low level of medical decision making An emergency department visit for a patient requiring a low level of medical decision making. |
17 | $55 | $454 |
| Limited abdominal ultrasound A focused ultrasound examination of the abdomen to evaluate specific organs or areas. This procedure uses sound waves to create images of internal structures. |
16 | $24 | $135 |
| Hospital discharge management, 30+ min This service covers the care provided by a physician or qualified healthcare professional on the day a patient is discharged from the hospital. It requires more than 30 minutes of total time spent on the day of discharge. |
13 | $95 | $837 |
| Venipuncture for blood draw Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect blood samples. This procedure is performed on patients aged 3 years or older. |
11 | $8 | $101 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2019 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2019)
All-time payments by company (2018-2019) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
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 emergency medicine and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
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 2019 |
| 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. Hwang is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement, 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
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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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