Dr. Steven Romero, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Romero
Dr. Steven Romero is a cardiovascular disease specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Romero performed 2,757 Medicare services across 2,530 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Romero received a total of $19,336 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 158 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cardiovascular disease. 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. Romero 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. |
857 | $6 | $31 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
558 | $112 | $545 |
| Heart muscle strain imaging | 297 | $33 | $154 |
| Perflutren lipid microspheres injection Injection of perflutren lipid microspheres, measured per milliliter. |
198 | $35 | $138 |
| Transesophageal echocardiogram An ultrasound of the heart performed using a probe inserted into the esophagus to obtain detailed images of heart structures and function. |
149 | $85 | $401 |
| 3D ultrasound of heart for congenital heart defects This procedure uses three-dimensional ultrasound imaging to evaluate the structure of the heart during an assessment for congenital heart defects. |
111 | $20 | $241 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
107 | $11 | $55 |
| Transesophageal echocardiogram during heart surgery An ultrasound of the heart performed using a probe inserted into the esophagus while surgery on the heart or major blood vessels is taking place, including a written report. |
94 | $177 | $839 |
| 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. |
51 | $142 | $491 |
| 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. |
50 | $67 | $305 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
48 | $37 | $171 |
| Echocardiogram with color Doppler An ultrasound of the heart that uses color imaging to visualize blood flow, measure flow rate, and assess valve function. |
42 | $9 | $42 |
| Follow-up ultrasound of heart blood flow, valves and chambers An ultrasound exam that follows up on the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. It uses sound waves to create images of the heart's structure and function. |
38 | $12 | $53 |
| Continuous ECG monitoring, up to 30 days Continuous heart rhythm monitoring for up to 30 days, including professional review and reporting of the results. |
27 | $21 | $96 |
| External shock to heart to regulate heart beat A procedure that delivers an electric shock to the heart from outside the body to restore a normal heart rhythm. |
25 | $80 | $607 |
| Stress echocardiogram with ECG monitoring An ultrasound of the heart performed while monitoring heart rhythm during rest, exercise, or medication-induced stress, followed by a review and report of the findings. |
24 | $165 | $947 |
| 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. |
22 | $92 | $350 |
| 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. |
19 | $98 | $269 |
| External EKG monitoring, 8-15 days Continuous external electrocardiogram recording and review over a period of 8 to 15 days to monitor heart rhythm. |
14 | $21 | $100 |
| Ultrasound of heart with contrast injection An ultrasound of the heart is performed while injecting an X-ray contrast agent to improve the clarity of the images. |
13 | $31 | $135 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
13 | $136 | $520 |
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 ›
Most payments (56%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
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. Romero is a cardiac & cardiac specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 18% of CA peers, 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
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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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