Medicare Enrolled
Dr. David Pilkington, M.D.
Dermatology · Merced, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
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. Pilkington 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. Pilkington?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Pilkington
Dr. David Pilkington is a dermatology specialist in Merced, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Pilkington performed 26,373 Medicare services across 8,192 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Pilkington received a total of $9,646 from 37 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 606 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in dermatology. 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. Pilkington 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 1% volume in CA
$9,646 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗26,373
Medicare services
Top 1% in CA for dermatology
8,192
Unique beneficiaries
$29
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~1,388 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. |
11,290 | $5 | $17 |
| Photodynamic therapy gel for precancerous skin | 4,600 | $1 | $5 |
| 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. |
2,472 | $38 | $165 |
| 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. |
2,023 | $65 | $217 |
| 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. |
1,591 | $85 | $293 |
| Tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This intermediate complexity procedure involves specialized techniques to identify abnormalities in the tissue. |
1,161 | $30 | $176 |
| 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. |
850 | $38 | $136 |
| Skin biopsy, tangential A procedure to remove a sample of the first identified skin growth for laboratory examination. |
477 | $74 | $268 |
| Destruction of 15 or more precancerous skin growths This procedure involves the removal or destruction of fifteen or more precancerous skin lesions. It is performed to treat abnormal skin cells that have the potential to develop into cancer. |
257 | $131 | $418 |
| 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. |
219 | $249 | $780 |
| 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. |
185 | $78 | $265 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
184 | $1 | $10 |
| 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. |
169 | $117 | $619 |
| Additional skin growth biopsy Removal of a sample of an additional skin growth for laboratory examination. This code is used for each extra lesion biopsied during the same session. |
157 | $43 | $135 |
| Surgical removal of facial skin cancer, 1.1-2.0 cm This procedure involves the surgical excision of a cancerous skin growth located on the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth. The size of the removed tissue is between 1.1 and 2.0 centimeters. |
124 | $123 | $672 |
| Intermediate repair of wound of face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth, 2.6-5.0 cm | 124 | $261 | $792 |
| New patient office visit, 15-29 minutes An initial office visit for a new patient lasting 15 to 29 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter meets this duration threshold. |
73 | $53 | $175 |
| 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. |
71 | $10 | $34 |
| Surgical removal of skin cancer, 1.1-2.0 cm Surgical excision of a cancerous skin growth measuring 1.1 to 2.0 centimeters from the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. |
61 | $119 | $637 |
| Intermediate wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm This procedure involves stitching a wound on the neck, hands, feet, or genitals that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. It is classified as an intermediate repair requiring layered closure. |
55 | $257 | $781 |
| 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. |
43 | $98 | $306 |
| Injection into skin growths, 1-7 A procedure involving the injection of medication into one to seven skin growths. |
39 | $40 | $141 |
| Removal of noncancer skin growth, 1.1-2.0 cm This procedure involves the surgical removal of a benign skin growth located on the body, arms, or legs. The growth measured between 1.1 and 2.0 centimeters in diameter. |
29 | $73 | $435 |
| Light therapy to destroy precancerous skin growth This procedure uses light to treat and remove precancerous skin lesions. It is a method for destroying abnormal skin cells before they become cancerous. |
27 | $123 | $394 |
| Ear tissue biopsy A procedure to remove a small sample of tissue from the ear for laboratory examination. |
25 | $56 | $250 |
| Surgical removal of skin cancer, 2.1-3.0 cm This procedure involves the surgical excision of a cancerous skin growth located on the body, arms, or legs. The size of the removed tissue measures between 2.1 and 3.0 centimeters. |
24 | $127 | $697 |
| Removal of noncancer skin growth, 1.1-2.0 cm This procedure involves the surgical removal of a benign skin growth measuring between 1.1 and 2.0 centimeters from the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. |
17 | $81 | $452 |
| Intermediate wound repair, 7.6-12.5 cm This procedure involves stitching a wound on the scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 7.6 and 12.5 centimeters. It includes cleaning the wound and closing it with sutures to promote healing. |
14 | $260 | $842 |
| Skin cancer removal, face/ears/eyes/nose/lips, 2.1-3.0 cm Surgical removal of a cancerous skin growth from the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mouth. The procedure involves excising a lesion measuring between 2.1 and 3.0 centimeters. |
12 | $132 | $779 |
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 ↗$9,646
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,378/year across 7 years
Top 18% in CA for dermatology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
37
Companies
606
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
$9,646 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,036
2023
$1,351
2022
$1,093
2021
$1,229
2020
$1,271
2019
$1,275
2018
$1,390
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$549
Incyte Corporation
$310
ABBVIE INC.
$239
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$181
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$164
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$154
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$87
Lilly USA, LLC
$69
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$63
PFIZER INC.
$54
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$47
Biofrontera Inc.
$45
MIMEDX Group, Inc.
$22
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
UCB, Inc.
$17
LEO Pharma Inc.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 54.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$2,607
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$919
PFIZER INC.
$639
Incyte Corporation
$568
Genentech USA, Inc.
$565
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$520
ABBVIE INC.
$365
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$334
AbbVie, Inc.
$327
AbbVie Inc.
$286
Lilly USA, LLC
$256
Amgen Inc.
$253
UCB, Inc.
$243
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$228
GENZYME CORPORATION
$137
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$133
LEO Pharma Inc.
$117
Promius Pharma LLC
$114
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$114
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$103
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$100
Biofrontera Inc.
$97
Ortho Dermatologics, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$95
Almirall LLC
$74
DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$68
Stemline Therapeutics Inc.
$57
STRATA Skin Sciences, Inc.
$53
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$41
Allergan, Inc.
$38
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$38
PruGen, Inc. Pharmaceuticals
$37
Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc.
$26
Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$24
MIMEDX Group, Inc.
$22
EPI Health, LLC
$16
Organogenesis Inc.
$16
Celgene Corporation
$15
Top 3 companies account for 43.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
20% · ABSORICA · ADBRY · AKLIEF · AMELUZ · ARAZLO · Absorica LD · Ameluz · BLU-U · Bimzelx · CIBINQO · CLODERM · COSENTYX · Cimzia · DERMATITIS - DISEASE · DUPIXENT · DUPIXENT DUPILUMAB INJECTION · ENSTILAR · EUCRISA · Enbrel · Erivedge · HUMIRA · Humira · ICLUSIG · ILUMYA · ILUMYA (tildrakizumab-asmn) injection · JUBLIA · LIBTAYO · LITFULO · Levulan Kerastick (aminolevulinic acid HCl) for Topical Solution · OPZELURA · ORACEA · Odomzo · Otezla · Promiseb Complete · Puraply · REMICADE · RINVOQ · SILIQ · SKYRIZI · SOOLANTRA · SPEVIGO · STELARA · Seysara · Sotyktu · TALTZ · TREMFYA · TRIANEX 0.05% · Tremfya · VALCHLOR · VTAMA · Veltin · Winlevi · XIMINO · XOLAIR · XTRAC · Zoryve
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.
Geographic Context
Dermatologists within 10 mi
1
Per 100K population
0.4
County median income
$65,044
Nearest hospital
MERCY MEDICAL CENTER
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. Pilkington is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 18% 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
Is Dr. Pilkington experienced with destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Pilkington performed 11,290 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. Pilkington receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Pilkington received a total of $9,646 from 37 companies across 606 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. Pilkington's costs compare to other dermatologists in Merced?
Dr. Pilkington's average Medicare payment per service is $29. 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. Pilkington) 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 →
Explore related providers
Same specialty & city
Dermatologists in Merced
Browse dermatologists in Merced ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Dermatologists in CA
Dermatologists ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Dermatologists in CA
Which CA dermatologists receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Janssen Biotech, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Janssen Biotech, Inc.
By company
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
By company
PFIZER INC. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from PFIZER INC.
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