Dr. Yi Cai, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Cai
Dr. Yi Cai is an anesthesiology specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 10 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cai performed 636 Medicare services across 265 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cai received a total of $22,228 from 19 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 129 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in anesthesiology. The majority of payments are classified as research and scientific activities (grants and research funding). Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Cai 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
241 | $98 | $200 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
131 | $1 | $21 |
| 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. |
117 | $62 | $175 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
35 | $80 | $850 |
| 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. |
34 | $130 | $325 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
24 | $87 | $350 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
19 | $95 | $574 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
18 | $86 | $450 |
| Additional sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into an additional sacral spine nerve root level, guided by imaging. |
17 | $43 | $345 |
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 (2019-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (72%) are classified as scientific/research, suggesting involvement in clinical studies, grants, or innovation-related work. Total industry engagement is in the top 2% for anesthesiology in CA.
Geographic Context
0.6 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. Cai is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in CA), with research-focused industry engagement in the top 2% of CA peers.
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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