Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Albert Col, M.D.

Family Medicine · Merced, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
3385 G ST, Merced, CA 95340
2097253122
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1952411266 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. Col 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 →
Are you Dr. Col? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Col

Dr. Albert Col is a family medicine specialist in Merced, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Col performed 1,737 Medicare services across 1,047 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Col received a total of $559 from 17 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 32 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. Col 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 12% volume in CA $559 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,737
Medicare services
Top 12% in CA for family medicine
1,047
Unique beneficiaries
$55
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~91 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
Destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14
This procedure involves the removal or destruction of two to fourteen precancerous skin lesions. It is performed to eliminate abnormal skin cells that have the potential to develop into cancer.
555 $5 $30
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.
275 $91 $160
Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1
Removal of a single precancerous skin growth. This procedure destroys abnormal skin cells to prevent them from developing into cancer.
235 $47 $135
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.
214 $67 $110
Punch biopsy of first skin growth
A small, circular piece of skin is removed from a skin growth using a circular blade. The sample is then sent to a laboratory for examination.
83 $91 $165
Annual alcohol misuse screening, 5 to 15 minutes 40 $20 $25
Intermediate wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm
A medical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. This type of repair involves cleaning the wound and stitching it closed to promote healing.
38 $242 $480
Annual wellness visit, follow-up
A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service.
36 $135 $150
Shaving of skin growth, 0.6-1.0 cm
A minor procedure to shave off a skin growth on the body, arms, or legs that measures between 0.6 and 1.0 centimeters.
33 $78 $150
Annual depression screening 32 $20 $25
Punch biopsy of additional skin growth
A small circular tool is used to remove a sample of an extra skin growth for laboratory examination.
27 $51 $80
Destruction of skin growths (warts/lesions), 1-14
This procedure involves the removal or destruction of one to fourteen skin growths. It is a minor surgical intervention performed on the skin surface.
26 $87 $185
Shaving of skin growth, 0.6-1.0 cm
A minor procedure to shave off a skin growth measuring 0.6 to 1.0 cm from the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitals.
22 $91 $150
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.
21 $123 $215
Surgical removal of skin cancer, 1.1-2.0 cm
Surgical excision of a cancerous skin growth measuring between 1.1 and 2.0 centimeters on the body, arms, or legs.
20 $104 $340
Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring)
A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months.
20 $10 $20
Skin growth shaving, 0.5 cm or less
This procedure involves shaving off a small skin growth measuring 0.5 centimeters or less from the body, arms, or legs.
17 $50 $160
Flu vaccine administration
This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient.
16 $32 $35
Flu vaccine, quadrivalent
A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus to help prevent seasonal influenza infection.
14 $76 $80
Intermediate repair of wound of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth, 2.6-5.0 cm 13 $264 $475
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 ↗
$559
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $80/year across 7 years
Top 35% in CA for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
17
Companies
32
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
$559 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$28
2023
$36
2022
$90
2021
$170
2020
$60
2019
$109
2018
$65

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Amgen Inc.
$15
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Amgen Inc.
$168
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$62
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$50
MannKind Corporation
$44
Novo Nordisk Inc
$27
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$25
Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
$21
Baxter Healthcare
$21
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$21
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$18
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$16
Hologic, LLC
$15
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$15
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$15
Mannkind Corporation
$14
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$13
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 50.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AFREZZA · APTIMA · AREXVY · Aimovig · BEXSERO · BREZTRI · COSENTYX · EVENITY · Hillrom - Life 2000 Ventilation System · MENACTRA · NEXPLANON · NURTEC ODT · ORACEA · Otezla · Ozempic · Prolia · Trilogy 100 · Trintellix · Vascepa · Xultophy 100/3.6
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 a family medicine specialist in Merced?
Compare family medicine physicians in the Merced area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
106
Per 100K population
37.1
County median income
$65,044
Nearest hospital
MERCY 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. Col is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Col experienced with destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Col performed 555 destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14 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. Col receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Col received a total of $559 from 17 companies across 32 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. Col's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Merced?
Dr. Col's average Medicare payment per service is $55. 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. Col) 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.

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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 →