Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Richard Putnam, MD
Family Medicine · Poway, 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. Putnam 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. Putnam
Dr. Richard Putnam is a family medicine specialist in Poway, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Putnam performed 2,315 Medicare services across 1,402 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Putnam received a total of $1,550 from 23 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 80 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. Putnam 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 8% volume in CA
$1,550 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,315
Medicare services
Top 8% in CA for family medicine
1,402
Unique beneficiaries
$75
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~116 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
651 | $97 | $246 |
| 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. |
331 | $64 | $168 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
263 | $139 | $267 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
114 | $9 | $61 |
| 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. |
107 | $6 | $11 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
92 | $51 | $158 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
87 | $33 | $39 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
82 | $72 | $139 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone. |
61 | $93 | $211 |
| 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. |
60 | $144 | $273 |
| Trigger point injection, 3 or more muscles Injection of medication into three or more specific muscle trigger points to relieve pain. |
58 | $46 | $134 |
| 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. |
58 | $11 | $50 |
| 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. |
42 | $45 | $141 |
| Ear wax removal A procedure to remove impacted ear wax from the ear canal. |
40 | $32 | $93 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
31 | $33 | $39 |
| 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. |
30 | $11 | $50 |
| Vitamin B-12 injection An injection of vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin) with a dose of up to 1000 mcg. |
28 | $1 | $7 |
| 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 | $101 | $233 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
24 | $3 | $11 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
23 | $52 | $146 |
| Trigger point injection, 1-2 muscles A procedure involving the injection of medication into one or two specific muscles to treat trigger points. |
20 | $38 | $105 |
| Pneumococcal vaccine, 13-valent | 18 | $253 | $287 |
| Skin biopsy, tangential A procedure to remove a sample of the first identified skin growth for laboratory examination. |
15 | $86 | $215 |
| Ear wax removal by washing This procedure involves the removal of impacted ear wax using a washing technique. |
15 | $11 | $27 |
| Chest X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the chest that captures two different angles to visualize the lungs, heart, and chest wall. |
15 | $30 | $75 |
| Pneumococcal vaccine, 23-valent A vaccine that protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria. It is used to prevent infections caused by these bacteria. |
12 | $131 | $138 |
| Initial preventive physical examination, new Medicare beneficiary A comprehensive preventive health visit for new Medicare beneficiaries during their first 12 months of enrollment. The service is conducted as a face-to-face visit and is limited to preventive care. |
12 | $176 | $383 |
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 ↗$1,550
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $221/year across 7 years
Top 20% in CA for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
23
Companies
80
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
$1,550 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$280
2023
$307
2022
$160
2021
$107
2020
$213
2019
$185
2018
$298
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Lilly USA, LLC
$156
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$55
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$23
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$16
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$15
Phadia US Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 83.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novo Nordisk Inc
$292
Lilly USA, LLC
$267
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$248
Amgen Inc.
$122
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$106
PFIZER INC.
$65
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$55
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$44
JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$40
Phadia US Inc.
$35
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$33
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$32
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$26
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$23
Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.
$23
AbbVie Inc.
$22
ABBVIE INC.
$20
Abbott Laboratories
$19
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$17
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$16
Allergan, Inc.
$16
TherapeuticsMD, Inc.
$15
Boston Scientific Corporation
$14
Top 3 companies account for 52.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AJOVY · Agilia · Amitiza · BEXSERO · CHANTIX · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · EVENITY · Entyvio · FARXIGA · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · IMVEXXY · INSPIRE · ImmunoCAP · JARDIANCE · MOUNJARO · NURTEC ODT · Otezla · Ozempic · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · Sunosi · TOUJEO · Tresiba · Trintellix · UBRELVY · VRAYLAR · Vascepa · Veozah · Victoza · WATCHMAN Access System · Wegovy · XYWAV
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
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
1,409
Per 100K population
42.9
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
PALOMAR MEDICAL CENTER POWAY
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. Putnam is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 8% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 20% 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. Putnam experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Putnam performed 651 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Putnam receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Putnam received a total of $1,550 from 23 companies across 80 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. Putnam's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Poway?
Dr. Putnam's average Medicare payment per service is $75. 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. Putnam) 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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