Dr. Andrew Wachtel, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Wachtel
Dr. Andrew Wachtel is a critical care medicine specialist in Los Angeles, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Wachtel performed 3,892 Medicare services across 2,658 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Wachtel received a total of $29,482 from 29 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 310 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in critical care medicine. 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. Wachtel 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. |
933 | $104 | $388 |
| Expiratory airflow and volume test A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed at which you can breathe it out. It evaluates lung function by assessing expiratory airflow and volume. |
716 | $24 | $115 |
| 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. |
477 | $71 | $257 |
| 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. |
472 | $98 | $305 |
| 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. |
235 | $132 | $484 |
| 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. |
193 | $142 | $548 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
171 | $49 | $190 |
| 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. |
153 | $65 | $228 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 111 | $156 | $526 |
| 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. |
109 | $143 | $578 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
100 | $49 | $188 |
| 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. |
39 | $97 | $368 |
| Critical care, first 30-74 min Emergency medical care for a critically ill or injured patient lasting between 30 and 74 minutes. This service involves direct patient care and medical decision making to stabilize the patient. |
33 | $177 | $641 |
| 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. |
27 | $11 | $75 |
| Nitric oxide gas level test A test that measures the level of nitric oxide gas in the body. |
25 | $18 | $66 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
22 | $78 | $300 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an established patient with straightforward or low-level medical decision making. The visit requires at least 25 minutes of time spent on the day of service. |
20 | $41 | $146 |
| Spirometry test before and after medication A test that measures the amount of air you can exhale and the speed of your breathing before and after taking a medication. |
14 | $28 | $200 |
| Positive pressure ventilator therapy A therapy procedure that uses a positive pressure ventilator to assist with breathing. |
14 | $56 | $214 |
| Lung volume test using gas dilution or washout A test that measures the amount of air in your lungs by using a gas dilution or washout method. |
14 | $33 | $250 |
| Pulmonary gas exchange test A test to examine how well the lungs exchange gases. |
14 | $52 | $100 |
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 ›
The majority of payments (45%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in critical care medicine and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 6% for critical care medicine in CA.
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. Wachtel is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 6% 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
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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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