Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Joseph Barrera, M.D.
Endocrinology · Mission Viejo, 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. Barrera 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. Barrera?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Barrera
Dr. Joseph Barrera is an endocrinology specialist in Mission Viejo, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Barrera performed 3,585 Medicare services across 1,675 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Barrera received a total of $13,673 from 55 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 596 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in endocrinology. 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. Barrera 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 21% volume in CA
$13,673 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,585
Medicare services
Top 21% in CA for endocrinology
1,675
Unique beneficiaries
$30
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 900 | $17 | $32 |
| 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. |
509 | $100 | $345 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
250 | $8 | $13 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
224 | $13 | $43 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
219 | $10 | $32 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
215 | $16 | $48 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
204 | $9 | $34 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
146 | $10 | $32 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
120 | $29 | $85 |
| 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. |
99 | $12 | $39 |
| 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. |
86 | $6 | $41 |
| Urine microalbumin test (kidney screening) A laboratory test that measures the amount of microalbumin, a small protein, in a urine sample. This test is used to detect early signs of kidney damage. |
70 | $6 | $39 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
67 | $5 | $18 |
| 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. |
66 | $8 | $43 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck soft tissue This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the soft tissues in the head and neck area. It allows for the visualization of structures beneath the skin without using radiation. |
61 | $98 | $325 |
| Free T3 thyroid hormone test A blood test that measures the level of free triiodothyronine (T3) hormone in your body. This helps assess how well your thyroid gland is functioning. |
61 | $17 | $60 |
| Continuous glucose monitoring with interpretation This procedure involves monitoring blood sugar levels in tissue fluid using a sensor placed under the skin, along with the interpretation and reporting of the results. |
56 | $29 | $92 |
| 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. |
40 | $69 | $245 |
| 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. |
40 | $131 | $485 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) A test that uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone mineral density in the hip, pelvis, and spine. It helps assess bone strength and risk of fractures. |
38 | $44 | $109 |
| Vitamin B-12 level test A blood test that measures the amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. |
28 | $15 | $45 |
| Parathyroid hormone level test A blood test that measures the amount of parathyroid hormone in your body. This hormone helps regulate calcium levels in the blood and bones. |
24 | $40 | $104 |
| Iron level test | 17 | $6 | $17 |
| Iron binding capacity test A blood test that measures the amount of iron in the blood and the blood's ability to bind and transport iron. |
17 | $9 | $20 |
| Ferritin level test (iron stores) A blood test that measures the level of ferritin, a protein that stores iron in the body. |
16 | $13 | $42 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
12 | $19 | $71 |
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 ↗$13,673
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,953/year across 7 years
Top 16% in CA for endocrinology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
55
Companies
596
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
$10,685 (78.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$2,988 (21.9%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$674
2023
$901
2022
$698
2021
$761
2020
$1,041
2019
$3,745
2018
$5,853
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Abbott Laboratories
$239
Novo Nordisk Inc
$55
Medtronic, Inc.
$55
RECORDATI_RARE_DISEASES_INC.
$46
Lilly USA, LLC
$41
BETA BIONICS, INC.
$41
Insulet Corporation
$35
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$29
Radius Health, Inc.
$24
Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc.
$22
Amgen Inc.
$21
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$19
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$19
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$18
CeQur Corporation
$10
Top 3 companies account for 51.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novo Nordisk Inc
$4,009
Lilly USA, LLC
$1,643
Amgen Inc.
$967
Abbott Laboratories
$784
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$703
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$507
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$454
AbbVie, Inc.
$449
Insulet Corporation
$443
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$441
Dexcom, Inc.
$410
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$297
Radius Health, Inc.
$233
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$224
Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc.
$197
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$174
Corcept Therapeutics
$125
AbbVie Inc.
$118
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$113
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$104
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$98
Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
$82
Nalpropion Pharmaceuticals LLC
$79
RECORDATI_RARE_DISEASES_INC.
$69
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$68
Gemini Laboratories, LLC
$62
Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC
$55
Medtronic, Inc.
$55
Zealand Pharma US, Inc.
$51
Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$43
BETA BIONICS, INC.
$41
Shire North American Group Inc
$40
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$38
Nalpropion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$32
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$31
MannKind Corporation
$29
Eisai Inc.
$27
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$27
Alvogen Inc
$26
Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc.
$26
PFIZER INC.
$26
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$24
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$24
LifeScan, Inc.
$23
ABBVIE INC.
$22
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$22
Valeritas, Inc.
$22
CeQur Corporation
$20
EISAI INC.
$19
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$19
DEXCOM, INC.
$19
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$17
Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$14
Mannkind Corporation
$14
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 48.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AFREZZA · Aimovig · Androgel · BAQSIMI · BASAGLAR · Belviq · CONTRAVE · CeQur Simplicity · DEXCOM CGM · DEXCOM G6 CGM SYSTEM · DEXCOM G6 TRANSMITTER · Dexcom CGM · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · EVENITY · EVKEEZA · Edarbi · FARXIGA · FORTEO · FREESTYLE LIBRE · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · FreeStyle Libre · FreeStyle Libre blood glucose Flash Monitoring System · GVOKE HYPOPEN · GVOKE PFS · HUMALOG · HUMULIN · HUMULIN R 500 · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · INVOKANA · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · Kerendia · Korlym · Livalo · MINIMED 780G · MOUNJARO · Minimed 670G System · NATPARA · NATPARA (PARATHYROID HORMONE) · NEXLETOL · NP Thyroid 60 · OT Verio Flex Starter Kit · OTREXUP · Omnipod · Ozempic · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · Prolia · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Rybelsus · SIGNIFOR LAR · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SOMATULINE DEPOT · SOMAVERT · STRENSIQ · SYNTHROID · Saxenda · Strensiq · Synthroid · TERIPARATIDE · TLANDO · TOUJEO · TRADJENTA · TRULICITY · TZIELD · Tirosint · Tresiba · Tymlos · UNITHROID · V-GO · Vascepa · Victoza · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIGDUO · ZEGALOGUE · iLet Bionic Pancreas · t-slim insulin pump · t:slim X2 Insulin Pump with Control-IQ
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 (78%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Endocrinologists within 10 mi
91
Per 100K population
2.9
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
PROVIDENCE MISSION HOSPITAL
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. Barrera is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 21% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 16% of CA peers, 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. Barrera experienced with denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Barrera performed 900 denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva) 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. Barrera receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Barrera received a total of $13,673 from 55 companies across 596 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. Barrera's costs compare to other endocrinologists in Mission Viejo?
Dr. Barrera's average Medicare payment per service is $30. 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. Barrera) 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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