Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Melissa Houser, M.D.
Neurology · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
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. Houser 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. Houser
Dr. Melissa Houser is a neurology specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Houser performed 39,921 Medicare services across 771 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Houser received a total of $11,014 from 58 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 558 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurology. 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. Houser 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 2% volume in CA
$11,014 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗39,921
Medicare services
Top 2% in CA for neurology
771
Unique beneficiaries
$8
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~1,996 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botox injection, per unit An injection of onabotulinumtoxinA, a medication used to temporarily relax muscles or reduce gland activity. The dose is measured in units, with this code representing a single unit administered. |
36,200 | $5 | $22 |
| Rimabotulinumtoxinb injection, 100 units An injection of rimabotulinumtoxinb administered in a dose of 100 units. |
2,760 | $10 | $19 |
| 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. |
252 | $139 | $491 |
| Prolonged office E/M service, first 15 minutes This code is used for additional time spent by a physician beyond the maximum required time of a primary office or outpatient evaluation and management service. It is billed in 15-minute increments based on total time spent on the date of the primary service. |
160 | $26 | $88 |
| Chemical nerve block for neck muscles Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze specific muscles on the side of the neck, excluding the voice box. |
127 | $151 | $1,012 |
| Electromyography of arm or leg muscles A test that measures the electrical activity in the muscles of the arm or leg using a needle electrode. It helps evaluate the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. |
92 | $86 | $346 |
| Chemical paralysis of salivary glands, bilateral Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze the salivary glands on both sides of the mouth. |
81 | $101 | $500 |
| Chemical nerve block for facial paralysis Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze specific nerves or muscles on the side of the face. |
68 | $167 | $1,007 |
| Chemical nerve block injection, 5+ arm/leg muscles Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze five or more muscles in the first extremity treated. |
28 | $138 | $693 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 27 | $138 | $598 |
| Chemical nerve block injection, 1-4 muscles An injection of a chemical agent to paralyze specific muscles in an arm or leg. This procedure targets one to four muscles in the first extremity treated. |
25 | $116 | $585 |
| Nerve conduction studies, 7-8 tests A series of 7 to 8 nerve conduction tests to evaluate how well nerves are sending signals to muscles. |
25 | $140 | $610 |
| Nerve conduction study, 9-10 studies A diagnostic test that measures how well nerves send electrical signals. It involves performing 9 to 10 separate nerve conduction studies to evaluate nerve function. |
23 | $186 | $733 |
| Injection of chemical for paralysis of nerve muscles on arm or leg, 1-4 muscles, each additional extremity | 22 | $78 | $357 |
| Nerve conduction studies, 11-12 A diagnostic test that measures how well nerves send electrical signals. It involves performing 11 to 12 separate nerve conduction studies. |
19 | $217 | $852 |
| Nerve conduction studies, 5-6 tests A series of 5 to 6 tests that measure how well nerves send electrical signals. The procedure evaluates nerve function and helps identify damage or dysfunction. |
12 | $109 | $466 |
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 ↗$11,014
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,573/year across 7 years
Top 22% in CA for neurology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
58
Companies
558
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
$10,890 (98.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$123 (1.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,296
2023
$1,911
2022
$1,544
2021
$1,048
2020
$710
2019
$2,082
2018
$1,422
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$939
MDD US Operations, LLC
$446
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$153
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$136
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$119
Lundbeck LLC
$78
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$69
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$62
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$52
UCB, Inc.
$39
Amgen Inc.
$32
ARGENX US, INC.
$30
GENZYME CORPORATION
$25
GE HEALTHCARE
$23
SK Life Science, Inc.
$23
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$23
Lilly USA, LLC
$19
MITSUBISHI TANABE PHARMA AMERICA, INC.
$16
Grifols USA, LLC
$13
Top 3 companies account for 67.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
ABBVIE INC.
$2,672
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$873
MDD US Operations, LLC
$606
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$556
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$539
Abbott Laboratories
$479
Lundbeck LLC
$379
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$372
Allergan Inc.
$310
AbbVie Inc.
$293
Merz North America, Inc.
$286
Amgen Inc.
$274
GE HEALTHCARE
$256
Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$222
Boston Scientific Corporation
$211
Lilly USA, LLC
$188
AbbVie, Inc.
$158
UCB, Inc.
$153
Allergan, Inc.
$144
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc
$136
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$120
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$114
Bausch Health US, LLC
$112
Upsher-Smith Laboratories LLC
$112
InSightec,Inc
$102
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$99
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$96
GE HealthCare
$92
US WorldMeds, LLC
$90
Promius Pharma LLC
$80
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$76
CSL Behring
$73
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$69
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$62
Grifols USA, LLC
$49
GENZYME CORPORATION
$48
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$47
Avion Pharmaceuticals
$39
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$39
SK Life Science, Inc.
$37
PFIZER INC.
$33
MITSUBISHI TANABE PHARMA AMERICA, INC.
$32
ARGENX US, INC.
$30
EMD Serono, Inc.
$29
GE Healthcare
$28
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$23
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
Medtronic, Inc.
$19
UPSHER-SMITH LABORATORIES LLC
$19
Cala Health, Inc.
$17
ClearPoint Neuro, Inc.
$17
Vertical Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$15
Impax Laboratories, Inc.
$15
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$14
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$14
Genentech USA, Inc.
$13
Assertio Therapeutics, Inc.
$11
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$1
Top 3 companies account for 37.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTIVA · AFINITOR · AJOVY · AMYVID · APOKYN · APTIOM · AUSTEDO · Activase · Aimovig · Austedo XR · BOTOX · BOTOX COSMETIC · BOTOX THERAPEUTIC · Briviact · CALA TRIO · CAMBIA · CLEARPOINT · Cholbam · DUOPA · Dhivy · Duopa · EMGALITY · GAMMAGARD · GENERAL DBS · GOCOVRI · Gamunex-C · Gocovri · Hizentra · INBRIJA · INFINITY · INGREZZA · Infinity DBS Pulse Generators · KESIMPTA · KYNMOBI · MIGRANAL · MYOBLOC · Mavenclad · NOURIANZ · NUEDEXTA · NUPLAZID · NURTEC ODT · Neupro · Nourianz · OSMOLEX ER · Ongentys · POMPE - DISEASE · Proclaim IPG · QUDEXY XR Topiramate Extended Release Capsules · QULIPTA · RADICAVA · RYTARY · SOLIRIS · TOSYMRA SUMATRIPTAN NASAL SPRAY · TROKENDI XR · UBRELVY · ULTOMIRIS · UPLIZNA · VERCISE · VYEPTI · VYVGART HYTRULO · XEOMIN · Xadago · ZEMBRACE SYMTOUCH · ZTLido · Zembrace · Zilbrysq
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.
Geographic Context
Neurologists within 10 mi
195
Per 100K population
5.9
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. Houser is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 2% 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. Houser experienced with botox injection, per unit?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Houser performed 36,200 botox injection, per unit 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. Houser receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Houser received a total of $11,014 from 58 companies across 558 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. Houser's costs compare to other neurologists in La Jolla?
Dr. Houser's average Medicare payment per service is $8. 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. Houser) 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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