Dr. Joseph Defoto, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Defoto
Dr. Joseph Defoto is a family medicine specialist in Los Angeles, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Defoto performed 1,446 Medicare services across 905 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Defoto received a total of $13,177 from 31 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 743 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. 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. Defoto 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. |
150 | $94 | $185 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
145 | $8 | $18 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
126 | $2 | $35 |
| Chlamydia trachomatis nucleic acid amplification test A laboratory test that uses nucleic acid amplification to detect the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria in a sample. |
119 | $34 | $100 |
| Gonorrhea nucleic acid amplification test A laboratory test that uses amplified probe techniques to detect the genetic material of gonorrhea bacteria. This method identifies the presence of the infection by analyzing nucleic acids from the sample. |
118 | $34 | $100 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
111 | $9 | $40 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
109 | $13 | $65 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
81 | $10 | $125 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
74 | $9 | $35 |
| HIV-1 viral load test A blood test that measures the amount of HIV-1 virus in your body using nucleic acid detection. |
60 | $82 | $300 |
| Total testosterone level test A blood test that measures the total amount of testosterone in your body. This hormone is important for various bodily functions in both men and women. |
58 | $25 | $85 |
| 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D level test A blood test that measures the level of active vitamin D in the body. |
55 | $37 | $150 |
| Hepatitis C antibody test A blood test that checks for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. This test helps determine if a person has been exposed to the virus. |
44 | $14 | $40 |
| Hepatitis A antibody test A blood test that measures the level of antibodies to the hepatitis A virus in your body. This test helps determine if you have been exposed to the virus or if you have immunity from vaccination. |
31 | $12 | $35 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
29 | $16 | $45 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
29 | $8 | $50 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
29 | $19 | $51 |
| Total estradiol level test A blood test that measures the total amount of estradiol, a form of estrogen, in the body. |
28 | $27 | $50 |
| Hepatitis B surface antibody test A blood test that measures the level of antibodies against the hepatitis B surface antigen. This test is used to check for immunity to hepatitis B or to verify the effectiveness of the hepatitis B vaccine. |
22 | $11 | $35 |
| Syphilis detection test A laboratory test used to detect the presence of syphilis infection in the body. |
17 | $4 | $25 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
11 | $72 | $75 |
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 (98%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for family medicine in CA.
Geographic Context
1.5 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. Defoto is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 15% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 3% 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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