Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Christopher Branche, M.D.

Anesthesiology · Long Beach, CA
Practice pattern: Cardiac Surgery — Surgically focused practice
Low-engagement
2801 ATLANTIC AVE, Long Beach, CA 90806
5629332000
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1184646549 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Branche 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. Branche

Dr. Christopher Branche is an anesthesiology specialist in Long Beach, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Branche performed 104 Medicare services across 101 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Branche received a total of $793 from 4 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 17 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in anesthesiology. 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. Branche 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 50% volume in CA $793 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
104
Medicare services
Top 50% in CA for anesthesiology
101
Unique beneficiaries
$184
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~5 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
Anesthesia for total knee replacement
Administration of anesthesia during a total knee joint replacement procedure.
 21 $350 $2,976
Femoral nerve injection with anesthetic and/or steroid
An injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid into the femoral nerve in the thigh. This procedure delivers medication directly to the nerve.
 20 $52 $882
Ultrasound guidance for needle placement
Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure.
 20 $25 $252
Anesthesia for total hip replacement
Administration of anesthesia during a total hip replacement surgery. This code covers the anesthetic services provided for the procedure.
 16 $346 $2,937
Brachial plexus injection with anesthetic and/or steroid
An injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid into the brachial plexus nerve bundle in the arm.
 16 $55 $1,008
Anesthesia for total shoulder joint replacement
This procedure covers the administration of anesthesia during an open or endoscopic total shoulder joint replacement surgery.
 11 $346 $2,953
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.
46.2% high complexity
53.8% medium
0.0% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$793
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $113/year across 7 years
Top 18% in CA for anesthesiology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
4
Companies
17
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
$793 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$34
2023
$119
2022
$44
2021
$21
2020
$31
2019
$145
2018
$400

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$34
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$370
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$227
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$100
Amgen Inc.
$97
Top 3 companies account for 87.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
BRIDION · ENTEREG · EXPAREL · Repatha
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for an anesthesiology specialist in Long Beach?
Compare anesthesiologists in the Long Beach area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Anesthesiologists within 10 mi
2,123
Per 100K population
21.6
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
MEMORIALCARE LONG BEACH MEDICAL CENTER
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. Branche is a cardiac surgery specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 18% of CA peers, 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

Is Dr. Branche experienced with anesthesia for total knee replacement?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Branche performed 21 anesthesia for total knee replacement 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. Branche receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Branche received a total of $793 from 4 companies across 17 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. Branche's costs compare to other anesthesiologists in Long Beach?
Dr. Branche's average Medicare payment per service is $184. 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. Branche) 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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →