Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Lindsy Forbess, MD

Rheumatology · Los Angeles, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Mixed engagement
8631 W 3RD ST, Los Angeles, CA 90048
3108543539
In practice since 2008 (17 years)
NPI: 1972764116 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. Forbess 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. Forbess

Dr. Lindsy Forbess is a rheumatology specialist in Los Angeles, CA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Forbess performed 3,036 Medicare services across 910 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Forbess received a total of $7,235 from 22 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 217 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. 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. Forbess 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.

✓ 17 years in practice ▲ Top 31% volume in CA $7,235 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
3,036
Medicare services
Top 31% in CA for rheumatology
910
Unique beneficiaries
$47
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~179 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
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.
578 $157 $231
Blood draw (venipuncture)
Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample.
454 $8 $10
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test
A blood test that measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a test tube to detect inflammation in the body. This specific method is performed manually rather than using an automated machine.
453 $4 $15
Complete blood count (CBC), automated
An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood.
438 $6 $30
Dexamethasone injection (steroid)
An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram.
272 $0 $10
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
231 $1 $10
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.
200 $113 $170
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
173 $54 $120
Joint fluid diagnostic test
A procedure to analyze fluid removed from a joint to help diagnose the cause of joint problems.
54 $6 $30
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 53 $193 $400
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.
44 $13 $200
Rheumatoid factor analysis 37 $6 $22
Betamethasone steroid injection
An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate.
32 $5 $20
Non-hormonal chemotherapy injection
This procedure involves administering non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy medication via injection into the skin or muscle tissue.
17 $69 $200
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.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$7,235
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,034/year across 7 years
Top 34% in CA for rheumatology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
22
Companies
217
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
$3,549 (49.0%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$1,992 (27.5%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$1,695 (23.4%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,185
2023
$926
2022
$4,326
2021
$408
2020
$134
2019
$216
2018
$42

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$409
Amgen Inc.
$164
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$138
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$99
PFIZER INC.
$95
Radius Health, Inc.
$76
UCB, Inc.
$71
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$63
Genentech USA, Inc.
$20
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$19
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$15
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$14
Top 3 companies account for 60.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Amgen Inc.
$2,470
ABBVIE INC.
$2,363
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$491
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$361
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$305
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$166
Radius Health, Inc.
$157
PFIZER INC.
$151
Lilly USA, LLC
$119
Genentech USA, Inc.
$85
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$79
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$75
AbbVie Inc.
$73
UCB, Inc.
$71
Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$57
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$49
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$37
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$37
Horizon Pharma plc
$31
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$22
Sandoz Inc.
$20
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$19
Top 3 companies account for 73.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Actemra · Arcalyst · BENLYSTA · Bimzelx · COSENTYX · CYLTEZO · Cimzia · Crysvita · EVENITY · Enbrel · HUMIRA · HYRIMOZ · LUPKYNIS · Mitigare · ORENCIA · Otezla · PENNSAID · RAYOS · REDITREX · REMICADE · RINVOQ · Rituxan · SAPHNELO · SIMPONI · SIMPONI ARIA · SKYRIZI · TALTZ · TAVNEOS · TREMFYA · Tavneos · Tymlos · XELJANZ
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 (49%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for a rheumatology specialist in Los Angeles?
Compare rheumatologists in the Los Angeles area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Rheumatologists within 10 mi
204
Per 100K population
2.1
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
CEDARS-SINAI 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. Forbess is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with mixed engagement industry engagement, with 17 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. Forbess experienced with office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Forbess performed 578 office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) 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. Forbess receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Forbess received a total of $7,235 from 22 companies across 217 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. Forbess's costs compare to other rheumatologists in Los Angeles?
Dr. Forbess's average Medicare payment per service is $47. 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. Forbess) 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 →
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 →