Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Michael Castro, M.D.
Medical Oncology · Los Angeles, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Castro 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. Castro
Dr. Michael Castro is a medical oncology specialist in Los Angeles, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Castro performed 937 Medicare services across 363 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Castro received a total of $11,321 from 71 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 440 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in medical 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. Castro 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 41% volume in CA
$11,321 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗937
Medicare services
Top 41% in CA for medical oncology
363
Unique beneficiaries
$34
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
159 | $8 | $60 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
124 | $10 | $150 |
| 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. |
111 | $108 | $848 |
| Phosphate level test A blood test that measures the amount of phosphate in your body. Phosphate is a mineral that helps keep bones and teeth strong. |
104 | $5 | $37 |
| Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level test A blood test that measures the amount of lactate dehydrogenase, an enzyme found in many body tissues. It helps assess tissue damage or disease. |
96 | $6 | $47 |
| 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. |
69 | $155 | $1,135 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
62 | $8 | $10 |
| Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level test A blood test that measures the level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) protein. This test is used to monitor certain types of cancer. |
43 | $19 | $147 |
| Magnesium level test A blood test to measure the amount of magnesium in your body. This helps check for magnesium deficiency or excess. |
41 | $7 | $52 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
32 | $9 | $70 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
31 | $16 | $131 |
| Ferritin level test (iron stores) A blood test that measures the level of ferritin, a protein that stores iron in the body. |
17 | $13 | $173 |
| Iron level test | 17 | $6 | $50 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 16 | $193 | $1,477 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
15 | $15 | $117 |
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 ↗$11,321
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,617/year across 7 years
Top 37% in CA for medical oncology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
71
Companies
440
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
$10,860 (95.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$462 (4.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$838
2023
$772
2022
$1,416
2021
$1,424
2020
$819
2019
$2,024
2018
$4,028
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
PFIZER INC.
$149
ABBVIE INC.
$112
Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Inc.
$109
Incyte Corporation
$79
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$73
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$70
Novocure Inc.
$32
Genmab U.S., Inc.
$31
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$30
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$27
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$26
SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc.
$25
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$22
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$21
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$19
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 44.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
B. Braun CeGaT, LLC
$1,726
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$836
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$821
PFIZER INC.
$649
Genentech USA, Inc.
$647
Foundation Medicine, Inc.
$525
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$513
Amgen Inc.
$354
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$288
Incyte Corporation
$249
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$236
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$221
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$220
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$211
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$173
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$172
EISAI INC.
$168
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$158
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$151
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$148
Novocure Inc.
$147
Seagen Inc.
$141
Pharmacyclics LLC, An AbbVie Company
$134
Eisai Inc.
$126
Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company
$125
Seattle Genetics, Inc.
$114
ABBVIE INC.
$112
GENZYME CORPORATION
$110
Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Inc.
$109
MENARINI SILICON BIOSYSTEMS, INC.
$100
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$97
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$97
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$80
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$73
Lilly USA, LLC
$73
Puma Biotechnology, Inc.
$68
EMD Serono, Inc.
$66
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$63
BeiGene USA, Inc.
$62
Exelixis Inc.
$59
Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.
$53
Celgene Corporation
$51
PUMA BIOTECHNOLOGY, INC.
$49
Taiho Oncology, Inc.
$48
MEDIVATION FIELD SOLUTIONS LLC
$47
Myovant Sciences Inc.
$45
Acrotech Biopharma LLC
$42
Blueprint Medicines Corporation
$41
Clovis Oncology, Inc.
$39
Kite Pharma, Inc.
$35
Heron Therapeutics, Inc.
$32
Genmab U.S., Inc.
$31
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$30
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$27
ARRAY BIOPHARMA INC
$26
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$26
SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc.
$25
AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$25
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$24
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$23
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$22
CTI BioPharma Corp.
$22
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$20
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$20
Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc.
$20
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$20
Dova Pharmaceuticals
$18
Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc.
$17
INSYS Therapeutics Inc
$11
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$9
Genentech, Inc.
$2
Top 3 companies account for 29.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADCETRIS · AFINITOR · AKYNZEO · ALUNBRIG · AVASTIN · AYVAKIT · Alecensa · Arcalyst · Avastin · BELEODAQ · BENDEKA · BOSULIF · BRUKINSA · Bavencio · Blincyto · CALQUENCE · CINVANTI · CYRAMZA · Cabometyx · Cellsearch · DEFITELIO · DIAGNOSTIC PANELS · Doptelet · ELITEK · EMPLICITI · ENHERTU · EPKINLY · Enhertu · Epkinly · Erleada · FOLOTYN · FOTIVDA · FOUNDATIONONE · GAVRETO · Halaven · IBRANCE · IMBRUVICA · INLYTA · Imbruvica · JADENU · JAKAFI · JYNARQUE · KEYTRUDA · KISQALI · Kyprolis · LIBTAYO · LORBRENA · LUMAKRAS · LUPRON DEPOT · LYNPARZA · Lenvima · Lonsurf · MEKINIST · MONJUVI · NERLYNX · NINLARO · Nerlynx · Nplate · Nubeqa · OGSIVEO · OPDIVO · ORGOVYX · OXBRYTA · Oncology · Optune · Orserdu · PADCEV · PEMAZYRE · PIQRAY · PLUVICTO · PROMACTA · Padcev · Prolia · RYBREVANT · RYDAPT · Revlimid · Rezlidhia · Rubraca · SARCLISA · SOLIRIS · SOMATULINE DEPOT · SUSTOL · SUTENT · SYNDROS · Somatuline Depot · Stivarga · TASIGNA · TECENTRIQ · TUKYSA · TUMOR LYSIS SYNDROME - DISEASE · Trodelvy · ULTOMIRIS · VENCLEXTA · VERZENIO · Venclexta · Vitrakvi · Vonjo · XALKORI · XGEVA · XOSPATA · XPOVIO · XTANDI · Xospata · YONSA · ZEPZELCA · ZOLADEX · myRisk
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 (96%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Medical oncologists within 10 mi
45
Per 100K population
0.5
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - WEST LA
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. Castro is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 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. Castro experienced with complete blood count (cbc) with differential?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Castro performed 159 complete blood count (cbc) with differential 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. Castro receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Castro received a total of $11,321 from 71 companies across 440 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. Castro's costs compare to other medical oncologists in Los Angeles?
Dr. Castro's average Medicare payment per service is $34. 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. Castro) 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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