Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Robert Buckingham, MD
Internal Medicine · Ojai, 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. Buckingham 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. Buckingham
Dr. Robert Buckingham is an internal medicine specialist in Ojai, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Buckingham performed 2,879 Medicare services across 1,266 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Buckingham received a total of $723 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 37 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in internal 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. Buckingham 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 11% volume in CA
$723 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,879
Medicare services
Top 11% in CA for internal medicine
1,266
Unique beneficiaries
$91
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~152 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing facility visit, high complexity A follow-up visit by a healthcare provider at a nursing facility for an established patient. The visit involves a high level of medical decision making and takes at least 45 minutes. |
810 | $120 | $180 |
| 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. |
542 | $96 | $160 |
| Chronic care management, first 20 min/month This service covers the first 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional each calendar month to manage chronic conditions. |
255 | $50 | $150 |
| Nursing facility visit, moderate complexity A follow-up visit by a healthcare provider at a nursing facility for an established patient. The visit involves moderate medical decision making and takes at least 30 minutes. |
234 | $87 | $160 |
| Nursing facility visit, low complexity A daily follow-up visit for an existing patient in a nursing facility involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit requires at least 15 minutes of time if time is used to determine the level of care. |
156 | $60 | $141 |
| Initial nursing facility care, high complexity An initial visit by a healthcare provider to a patient in a nursing facility involving a high level of medical decision making, lasting at least 45 minutes. |
104 | $144 | $220 |
| Obesity behavioral counseling, 15 minutes A 15-minute face-to-face session focused on behavioral counseling to help manage obesity. |
97 | $27 | $100 |
| Nursing facility discharge management, 30 minutes or less This service covers the management of a patient's discharge from a nursing facility. It applies when the total time spent on discharge activities is 30 minutes or less. |
83 | $68 | $180 |
| Annual intensive behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease, 15 minutes A yearly, in-person session focused on intensive behavioral therapy to help manage cardiovascular disease. The session lasts for 15 minutes and is conducted with the patient individually. |
73 | $27 | $149 |
| 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. |
62 | $77 | $146 |
| Transitional care management services, moderate complexity Services provided to coordinate care during the transition from an inpatient or other facility setting back to the community. This includes follow-up and management of a health problem of at least moderate complexity. |
59 | $116 | $200 |
| Home health agency supervision, complex multidisciplinary care Supervision by a physician or allowed practitioner for a patient receiving Medicare-covered services from a participating home health agency. This involves complex and multidisciplinary care modalities, with the patient not present during the supervision. |
59 | $76 | $195 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 56 | $161 | $350 |
| 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. |
50 | $145 | $220 |
| Smoking cessation counseling, 4-10 minutes A brief counseling session focused on helping patients quit smoking and tobacco use. The provider spends 4 to 10 minutes discussing strategies and support for cessation. |
49 | $12 | $100 |
| Hospice care plan supervision, complex multidisciplinary Physician oversight of a patient enrolled in a Medicare-approved hospice program without the patient being present. This involves developing or revising care plans and reviewing reports for complex, multidisciplinary care needs. |
39 | $86 | $200 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
34 | $41 | $224 |
| Home health plan of care re-certification A physician reviews the patient's status and contacts the home health agency to re-certify the plan of care without the patient being present. |
28 | $31 | $125 |
| Annual depression screening | 22 | $20 | $100 |
| 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. |
18 | $49 | $105 |
| Complex chronic care management, first 60 minutes This service involves clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional to manage two or more chronic conditions over a calendar month. It covers the first 60 minutes of this coordinated care effort. |
18 | $108 | $300 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
16 | $12 | $85 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
15 | $139 | $570 |
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.
0.5% high complexity
0.0% medium
99.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$723
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $103/year across 7 years
Top 40% in CA for internal medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
14
Companies
37
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
$723 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$76
2023
$168
2022
$117
2021
$185
2020
$78
2019
$35
2018
$64
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$49
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$27
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$191
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$154
Novo Nordisk Inc
$64
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$49
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$46
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$45
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$38
PFIZER INC.
$33
Eisai Inc.
$20
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$20
ITI, Inc.
$17
Bioventus LLC
$16
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$16
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 56.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AUSTEDO · Aduhelm · CAPLYTA · Durolane · ENTRESTO · FARXIGA · INGREZZA · JARDIANCE · LEQVIO · NUEDEXTA · ONPATTRO · PAXLOVID · REXULTI · RYBELSUS · Rybelsus · SYNJARDY · XARELTO
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
Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
170
Per 100K population
20.3
County median income
$107,327
Nearest hospital
COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL - OJAI
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. Buckingham is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 11% 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. Buckingham experienced with nursing facility visit, high complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Buckingham performed 810 nursing facility visit, high complexity 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. Buckingham receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Buckingham received a total of $723 from 14 companies across 37 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. Buckingham's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in Ojai?
Dr. Buckingham's average Medicare payment per service is $91. 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. Buckingham) 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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