Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Sonia Ali, M.D.
Hematology & Oncology · La Jolla, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
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. Ali 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. Ali
Dr. Sonia Ali is a hematology & oncology specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 14 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Ali performed 39,096 Medicare services across 1,522 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Ali received a total of $31,138 from 51 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 228 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in hematology & oncology. 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. Ali 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.
✓ 14 years in practice
▲ Top 17% volume in CA
$31,138 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗39,096
Medicare services
Top 17% in CA for hematology & oncology
1,522
Unique beneficiaries
$17
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~2,793 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paclitaxel chemotherapy injection | 9,054 | $0 | $1 |
| Anti-nausea injection (aprepitant) | 8,710 | $1 | $7 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 6,542 | $18 | $72 |
| Pembrolizumab injection (Keytruda) | 5,000 | $43 | $176 |
| Trastuzumab biosimilar injection, 10 mg An injection of trastuzumab-qyyp, a biosimilar medication, administered in a 10 mg dose. |
1,974 | $18 | $211 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
1,500 | $0 | $1 |
| Injection, granisetron hydrochloride, 100 mcg | 1,410 | $0 | $3 |
| Injection, immune globulin, (gamunex-c/gammaked), non-lyophilized (e.g., liquid), 500 mg | 870 | $38 | $126 |
| Pegfilgrastim injection, 0.5 mg An injection of pegfilgrastim, a medication that stimulates the production of white blood cells. This specific code applies to the brand-name drug and excludes biosimilar versions. |
576 | $81 | $1,806 |
| 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. |
562 | $97 | $350 |
| Zoledronic acid injection, 1 mg An injection of zoledronic acid administered at a dose of 1 mg. |
553 | $6 | $39 |
| Intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance Administration of an additional new medication or substance directly into a vein. |
495 | $14 | $55 |
| 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. |
475 | $146 | $491 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
321 | $119 | $479 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
211 | $54 | $236 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
143 | $12 | $46 |
| Intravenous infusion of new drug or substance, 1 hour or less This procedure involves administering a new medication or substance directly into a vein through an existing access site. The infusion is completed within one hour or less. |
126 | $58 | $232 |
| Irrigation of implanted venous access device This procedure involves flushing an implanted venous access device to clear blockages or maintain patency. It ensures the device remains functional for delivering medications or fluids. |
69 | $20 | $94 |
| Unclassified drug A medication that does not fit into standard HCPCS or CPT classification categories. |
69 | $73 | $980 |
| Diphenhydramine injection, up to 50 mg An injection of diphenhydramine hydrochloride, an antihistamine medication, administered in a dose of up to 50 milligrams. |
67 | $1 | $6 |
| Subcutaneous or intramuscular chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering anti-cancer hormonal medication through an injection into the tissue under the skin or into a muscle. |
62 | $30 | $114 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 49 | $182 | $598 |
| On-body injector for subcutaneous injection A device is applied to the skin to automatically deliver a medication injection under the skin. |
48 | $16 | $65 |
| Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period. |
43 | $24 | $100 |
| Blood sample collection from implanted device This procedure involves drawing a blood sample directly from a medical device that has been surgically placed in the body. |
42 | $24 | $110 |
| Normal saline infusion, 250 cc Administration of 250 cubic centimeters of normal saline solution into a vein. This procedure involves the intravenous delivery of a sterile saltwater fluid. |
30 | $0 | $41 |
| Additional hour of intravenous infusion This code represents each additional hour of intravenous infusion beyond the initial hour for therapy, prevention, or diagnosis. |
29 | $17 | $72 |
| 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. |
25 | $62 | $248 |
| Additional sequential IV infusion, 1 hour or less This code represents an additional intravenous infusion administered sequentially to a primary infusion. It covers the administration time of one hour or less. |
23 | $25 | $104 |
| 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. |
18 | $141 | $453 |
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.
1.9% high complexity
94.8% medium
3.3% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$31,138
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $4,448/year across 7 years
Top 15% in CA for hematology & oncology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
51
Companies
228
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
$21,138 (67.9%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$6,725 (21.6%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$3,275 (10.5%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$980
2023
$557
2022
$452
2021
$271
2020
$3,098
2019
$7,994
2018
$17,785
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
PFIZER INC.
$171
BeiGene USA, Inc.
$81
ABBVIE INC.
$80
SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc.
$77
PharmaEssentia USA Corporation
$65
SOBI, INC
$55
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$55
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$53
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$35
Coherus Biosciences Inc.
$31
Celgene Corporation
$29
TAIHO ONCOLOGY, INC.
$29
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$29
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$27
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$23
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$22
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$22
Fennec Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
Incyte Corporation
$21
Eisai Inc.
$21
Tempus AI, Inc
$20
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 33.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Amgen Inc.
$20,221
PFIZER INC.
$3,708
Seagen Inc.
$1,951
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$1,692
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$1,100
Lilly USA, LLC
$184
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$138
ABBVIE INC.
$136
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$130
Genentech USA, Inc.
$118
BeiGene USA, Inc.
$108
Incyte Corporation
$100
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$93
Coherus Biosciences Inc.
$88
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$86
PharmaEssentia USA Corporation
$85
SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc.
$77
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$77
Kite Pharma, Inc.
$71
Celgene Corporation
$67
Eisai Inc.
$57
AbbVie Inc.
$55
SOBI, INC
$55
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$53
Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company
$51
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$45
GENZYME CORPORATION
$44
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$35
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$31
TAIHO ONCOLOGY, INC.
$29
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$29
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$28
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$27
Seattle Genetics, Inc.
$27
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$27
West Therapeutics Development, LLC
$26
EISAI INC.
$26
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$22
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$22
Fennec Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
Genmab U.S., Inc.
$22
Blueprint Medicines Corporation
$22
Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.
$20
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
Tempus AI, Inc
$20
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$19
Exelixis Inc.
$18
Pharmacyclics LLC, An AbbVie Company
$16
CSL Behring
$15
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$13
Top 3 companies account for 83.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADCETRIS · ALIMTA · ALUNBRIG · Avastin · BENDEKA · BESREMI · BRUKINSA · Blincyto · Cresemba · DOPTELET · ELIQUIS · EMEND · EMPLICITI · EPKINLY · Epkinly · GAVRETO · GAZYVA · GILOTRIF · Herceptin · IBRANCE · IMBRUVICA · IMFINZI · INJECTAFER · Imbruvica · JAKAFI · JEVTANA · KANJINTI · KEYTRUDA · KISQALI · Kyprolis · LENVIMA · LONSURF · LYNPARZA · Lazanda · Lenvima · MVASI · MYLOTARG · NINLARO · Neulasta · Nplate · Nubeqa · OGSIVEO · OPDIVO · ORGOVYX · Onivyde · Orserdu · Pedmark · QINLOCK · REBLOZYL · Revlimid · SPRYCEL · SYNRIBO · Somatuline Depot · TAGRISSO · TECENTRIQ · TUKYSA · Tazverik · Udenyca · VENCLEXTA · VERZENIO · VYXEOS · Vanflyta · Vectibix · Venclexta · XARELTO · XGEVA · XPOVIO · XTANDI · Xermelo · Yescarta · ZEJULA · ZYTIGA
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 (68%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in hematology & oncology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
Hematology & oncology specialists within 10 mi
138
Per 100K population
4.2
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. Ali is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 17% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 15% of CA peers.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Ali experienced with paclitaxel chemotherapy injection?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Ali performed 9,054 paclitaxel chemotherapy injection 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. Ali receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Ali received a total of $31,138 from 51 companies across 228 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. Ali's costs compare to other hematology & oncology specialists in La Jolla?
Dr. Ali's average Medicare payment per service is $17. 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. Ali) 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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