Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Amartej Merla, MD
Hematology & Oncology · Lancaster, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
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. Merla 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. Merla
Dr. Amartej Merla is a hematology & oncology specialist in Lancaster, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Merla performed 33,598 Medicare services across 1,541 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Merla received a total of $2,248 from 31 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 103 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in hematology & oncology. 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. Merla 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.
✓ 18 years in practice
▲ Top 19% volume in CA
$2,248 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗33,598
Medicare services
Top 19% in CA for hematology & oncology
1,541
Unique beneficiaries
$26
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~1,867 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nivolumab injection (Opdivo) | 9,960 | $24 | $105 |
| Pembrolizumab injection (Keytruda) | 8,800 | $43 | $193 |
| Anti-nausea injection (aprepitant) | 4,160 | $1 | $6 |
| Paclitaxel chemotherapy injection | 3,546 | $0 | $0 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 2,520 | $18 | $83 |
| Anti-nausea injection (ondansetron/Zofran) | 1,128 | $0 | $0 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
650 | $0 | $0 |
| 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. |
411 | $102 | $481 |
| 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. |
264 | $76 | $339 |
| 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. |
261 | $148 | $672 |
| Intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance Administration of an additional new medication or substance directly into a vein. |
254 | $14 | $93 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
228 | $121 | $606 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
121 | $64 | $288 |
| Carboplatin chemotherapy injection, 50 mg Administration of a 50 mg dose of carboplatin, a chemotherapy medication, via injection. |
121 | $2 | $9 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
116 | $56 | $341 |
| 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. |
111 | $66 | $341 |
| 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. |
99 | $12 | $81 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
99 | $29 | $214 |
| Leuprolide acetate (for depot suspension), 7.5 mg | 88 | $129 | $615 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 81 | $182 | $821 |
| 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. |
70 | $30 | $134 |
| Diphenhydramine injection, up to 50 mg An injection of diphenhydramine hydrochloride, an antihistamine medication, administered in a dose of up to 50 milligrams. |
66 | $1 | $4 |
| Additional hour of intravenous infusion This code represents each additional hour of intravenous infusion beyond the initial hour for therapy, prevention, or diagnosis. |
53 | $18 | $88 |
| 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. |
52 | $59 | $295 |
| 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. |
48 | $58 | $269 |
| 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. |
46 | $132 | $623 |
| Unclassified drug A medication that does not fit into standard HCPCS or CPT classification categories. |
42 | $1 | $23 |
| Additional hour of intravenous hydration This code represents each additional hour of intravenous fluid administration beyond the initial hour. It is used to bill for extended hydration therapy. |
37 | $12 | $69 |
| Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period. |
37 | $26 | $134 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
34 | $109 | $470 |
| 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. |
32 | $145 | $633 |
| On-body injector for subcutaneous injection A device is applied to the skin to automatically deliver a medication injection under the skin. |
22 | $17 | $81 |
| 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. |
15 | $22 | $103 |
| 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. |
13 | $26 | $147 |
| Advance care planning consultation, first 30 min A session focused on discussing and documenting future healthcare preferences and goals. This service covers the initial 30 minutes of the planning discussion. |
13 | $70 | $306 |
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.
1.2% high complexity
94.3% medium
4.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$2,248
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $375/year across 6 years
Bottom 46% in CA for hematology & oncology
31
Companies
103
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.
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,092 (93.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$155 (6.9%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$125
2023
$28
2022
$239
2020
$306
2019
$740
2018
$809
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$125
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Genentech USA, Inc.
$534
PFIZER INC.
$167
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$152
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$142
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$125
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$124
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$124
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$116
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$106
PUMA BIOTECHNOLOGY, INC.
$73
Foundation Medicine, Inc.
$69
Amgen Inc.
$66
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$55
GENZYME CORPORATION
$41
Celgene Corporation
$31
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$29
MEDIVATION FIELD SOLUTIONS LLC
$29
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$26
Eisai Inc.
$26
EMD Serono, Inc.
$23
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$23
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$22
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
Mylan Institutional Inc.
$20
Incyte Corporation
$18
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$17
INSYS Therapeutics Inc
$16
Becton, Dickinson and Company
$15
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$14
EISAI INC.
$13
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$12
Top 3 companies account for 37.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADAKVEO · Alecensa · Avastin · BESPONSA · Bavencio · DARZALEX · Da Vinci Surgical System · ELIQUIS · ELITEK · EMPLICITI · Epclusa · Erleada · FARESTON · FOUNDATIONONE · Fulphila · GILOTRIF · IBRANCE · IMFINZI · INLYTA · KANJINTI · KEYTRUDA · KISQALI · Kyprolis · LIBTAYO · LORBRENA · Lenvima · MONJUVI · MYLOTARG · NERLYNX · OPDIVO · PROMACTA · Perjeta · RYDAPT · Revlimid · SYNDROS · Stivarga · TAGRISSO · TALZENNA · TASIGNA · TECENTRIQ · Tavalisse · VENCLEXTA · XALKORI · XARELTO · XTANDI · ZEJULA · ZOLADEX
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 →
Most payments (93%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Hematology & oncology specialists within 10 mi
7
Per 100K population
0.1
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
ANTELOPE VALLEY HOSPITAL
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. Merla is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 19% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 18 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. Merla experienced with nivolumab injection (opdivo)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Merla performed 9,960 nivolumab injection (opdivo) 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. Merla receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Merla received a total of $2,248 from 31 companies across 103 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. Merla's costs compare to other hematology & oncology specialists in Lancaster?
Dr. Merla's average Medicare payment per service is $26. 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. Merla) 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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