Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Paul Pockros, M.D.

Gastroenterology · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
10666 N TORREY PINES RD, La Jolla, CA 92037
8585548880
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1124082748 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. Pockros 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 →
Are you Dr. Pockros? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Pockros

Dr. Paul Pockros is a gastroenterology specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Pockros performed 515 Medicare services across 477 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Pockros received a total of $335,623 from 43 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 656 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in gastroenterology. 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. Pockros 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 ▲ 515 Medicare services $335,623 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
515
Medicare services
Bottom 38% in CA for gastroenterology
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
477
Unique beneficiaries
$79
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~27 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
Moderate sedation during GI endoscopy
Sedation services provided by the physician performing a gastrointestinal endoscopic procedure. This requires an independent trained observer to assist in monitoring the patient.
133 $5 $166
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.
85 $97 $350
Liver stiffness measurement
A non-invasive test that uses ultrasound or similar technology to measure the stiffness of liver tissue. This measurement helps assess the degree of liver fibrosis or scarring.
58 $25 $106
Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare
This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination.
53 $217 $1,840
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.
41 $73 $248
Upper endoscopy (EGD)
A diagnostic exam of the esophagus, stomach, and upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope.
30 $82 $1,230
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.
27 $98 $269
Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening
A colonoscopy performed to screen for colorectal cancer in individuals who are not at high risk for the disease.
21 $184 $983
Colonoscopy with biopsy
A procedure to collect tissue samples from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities or disease.
20 $116 $1,789
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.
19 $108 $453
Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy
A procedure to collect tissue samples from the esophagus, stomach, or upper small intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities.
16 $89 $1,581
New patient office visit (30-44 min)
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range.
12 $87 $305
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 ↗
$335,623
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $47,946/year across 7 years
Top 1% in CA for gastroenterology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
43
Companies
656
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
$266,104 (79.3%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$51,031 (15.2%)
Scientific / Research
Research funding and grants
$13,204 (3.9%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$5,285 (1.6%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$61,100
2023
$36,605
2022
$2,532
2021
$7,719
2020
$27,318
2019
$75,798
2018
$124,553

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$20,373
ABBVIE INC.
$13,204
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$13,005
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$11,848
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
$2,195
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$202
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$96
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$71
GENZYME CORPORATION
$57
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$17
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$17
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 76.2% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$111,794
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$68,742
AbbVie, Inc.
$54,174
INTERCEPT PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$30,609
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$23,860
ABBVIE INC.
$13,990
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$13,005
AbbVie Inc.
$7,314
ORPHALAN INC
$3,194
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$2,600
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
$2,195
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$1,043
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$927
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$381
PFIZER INC.
$307
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$245
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$129
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$127
GENZYME CORPORATION
$112
Novo Nordisk Inc
$88
VIVUS LLC
$80
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company
$73
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$65
UCB, Inc.
$62
EISAI INC.
$59
Shionogi Inc
$48
Celgene Corporation
$46
Allergan Inc.
$44
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$36
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$34
Braintree Laboratories, Inc.
$27
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$25
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$25
NESTLE HEALTHCARE NUTRITION INC.
$24
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$22
Eisai Inc.
$20
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$18
INTRA-SANA LABORATORIES
$15
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$15
Shire North American Group Inc
$15
VIVUS, Inc.
$12
PENTAX of America, Inc.
$11
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
$11
Top 3 companies account for 69.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Amitiza · BROVANA · Bylvay · C2 CryoBalloon · CIMZIA · CLENPIQ · CREON · CUVRIOR · Cimzia · Creon · DIFICID · DUPIXENT · ENTYVIO · EOHILIA · Entyvio · Epclusa · GATTEX · GIVLAARI · HUMIRA · Harvoni · Heplisav-B · Humira · INFLECTRA · INJECTAFER · IQIRVO · LINZESS · LONHALA MAGNAIR · Lenvima · Linzess · Livdelzi · MAVYRET · MOTEGRITY · MOTOFEN · Mavyret · Motegrity · Mulpleta · Nexavar · OCALIVA · OPDIVO · PANCREAZE · QSYMIA · REBYOTA · RELTONE 200 MG · RESMETIROM · REZDIFFRA · RINVOQ · SKYRIZI · STELARA · SUPREP · Saxenda · TERLIVAZ · TREMFYA · TRULANCE · Talicia · UCERIS · Utibron · VIBERZI · Vemlidy · Vosevi · XELJANZ · XIFAXAN · XIFAXANIBSD · ZENPEP · ZEPATIER · ZEPOSIA
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 (79%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in gastroenterology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for gastroenterology in CA.

Looking for a gastroenterology specialist in La Jolla?
Compare gastroenterologists in the La Jolla area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse gastroenterologists nearby

Geographic Context

Gastroenterologists within 10 mi
158
Per 100K population
4.8
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. Pockros is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 1% 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. Pockros experienced with moderate sedation during gi endoscopy?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Pockros performed 133 moderate sedation during gi endoscopy 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. Pockros receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Pockros received a total of $335,623 from 43 companies across 656 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. Pockros's costs compare to other gastroenterologists in La Jolla?
Dr. Pockros's average Medicare payment per service is $79. 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. Pockros) 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.

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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 →