Dr. Richard Brown, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Brown
Dr. Richard Brown is an orthopedic surgery specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Brown performed 4,798 Medicare services across 2,294 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Brown received a total of $19,734 from 17 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 69 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. 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. Brown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collagenase injection, 0.01 mg An injection of collagenase enzyme to break down collagen tissue. The dose specified is 0.01 milligrams. |
1,801 | $46 | $72 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
664 | $46 | $115 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
634 | $5 | $40 |
| 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. |
195 | $73 | $155 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
187 | $43 | $128 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
171 | $42 | $118 |
| New patient office visit, 15-29 minutes An initial office visit for a new patient lasting 15 to 29 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter meets this duration threshold. |
150 | $55 | $175 |
| 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. |
140 | $86 | $230 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
110 | $48 | $193 |
| X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
97 | $33 | $95 |
| Wrist X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the wrist using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
84 | $29 | $102 |
| Incision of finger tendon sheath A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon. |
79 | $480 | $1,145 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
78 | $34 | $100 |
| X-ray of hand, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
68 | $25 | $85 |
| Injection of carpal tunnel | 67 | $77 | $196 |
| Hand nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand. |
53 | $320 | $1,515 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
43 | $37 | $100 |
| Tendon injection at attachment site A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon where it attaches to bone or muscle. |
25 | $44 | $130 |
| Elbow X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint using two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
25 | $26 | $90 |
| MRI of arm joint, without contrast An MRI scan uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the arm joint. This specific procedure is performed without the use of a contrast dye. |
25 | $169 | $1,320 |
| Partial removal of finger bone at end of finger This procedure involves the surgical removal of a portion of the bone located at the tip of a finger. |
23 | $348 | $1,235 |
| Medication injection into palm A procedure involving the injection of medication into the palm of the hand. |
20 | $72 | $200 |
| Finger manipulation for connective tissue release A procedure involving the manipulation of a finger to release connective tissue after an enzyme injection has been administered. |
19 | $99 | $390 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
16 | $37 | $50 |
| Aspiration or injection of tendon cyst This procedure involves draining fluid from a cyst on a tendon or injecting medication into it. |
12 | $53 | $130 |
| Palm connective tissue removal and finger release Surgical removal of abnormal connective tissue in the palm to release tension on the first finger. |
12 | $692 | $2,860 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗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 (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (94%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in orthopedic surgery 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 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. Brown is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 11% 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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