Medicare Enrolled
Dr. James Lew, M.D.
Family Medicine · Salinas, 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. Lew 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. Lew
Dr. James Lew is a family medicine specialist in Salinas, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lew performed 1,929 Medicare services across 1,508 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lew received a total of $10,095 from 50 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 483 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. Lew 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
$10,095 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,929
Medicare services
Top 11% in CA for family medicine
1,508
Unique beneficiaries
$38
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~102 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 (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. |
469 | $46 | $167 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
261 | $8 | $20 |
| 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. |
145 | $53 | $250 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
119 | $33 | $52 |
| 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. |
107 | $72 | $90 |
| 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. |
87 | $8 | $37 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
84 | $10 | $55 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
79 | $10 | $67 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
65 | $13 | $88 |
| 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. |
51 | $11 | $55 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
48 | $9 | $70 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
47 | $16 | $97 |
| COVID-19 vaccine administration Administration of a single dose of the coronavirus vaccine. |
47 | $41 | $100 |
| COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer bivalent) Administration of a 30 mcg dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine via intramuscular injection. |
47 | $121 | $328 |
| Annual wellness visit, initial visit A yearly appointment to review your health and create a personalized prevention plan. This initial visit focuses on preventive care and health assessment. |
42 | $59 | $347 |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) An intramuscular injection of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It is used to protect against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. |
33 | $282 | $709 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
29 | $33 | $35 |
| Basic metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of basic chemicals, including total calcium levels. |
26 | $8 | $48 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
26 | $51 | $233 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
22 | $65 | $173 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
21 | $66 | $167 |
| 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. |
16 | $5 | $102 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
16 | $5 | $29 |
| 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. |
15 | $38 | $247 |
| Quadrivalent influenza vaccine, preservative-free A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus, formulated without preservatives, administered in a 0.5 ml dose. |
14 | $19 | $58 |
| 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. |
13 | $7 | $51 |
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 ↗$10,095
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,442/year across 7 years
Top 4% in CA for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
50
Companies
483
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
$10,095 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,886
2023
$2,326
2022
$1,025
2021
$875
2020
$376
2019
$1,638
2018
$1,970
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$365
Lilly USA, LLC
$262
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$226
PFIZER INC.
$210
Novo Nordisk Inc
$191
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$190
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$131
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$120
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$114
Amgen Inc.
$39
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$19
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$18
Top 3 companies account for 45.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novo Nordisk Inc
$990
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$974
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$895
ABBVIE INC.
$882
Amgen Inc.
$805
Lilly USA, LLC
$786
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$644
PFIZER INC.
$514
Abbott Laboratories
$466
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$334
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$281
AbbVie Inc.
$262
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$240
Radius Health, Inc.
$208
IDORSIA PHARMACEUTICALS US INC
$191
Mylan Specialty L.P.
$188
Allergan Inc.
$164
Allergan, Inc.
$158
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$113
Vifor Pharma, Inc.
$85
Horizon Pharma plc
$79
Relypsa, Inc.
$70
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$66
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$64
AbbVie, Inc.
$62
Boston Scientific Corporation
$44
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$43
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$39
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$33
Bioventus LLC
$32
Organon LLC
$32
Dexcom, Inc.
$29
Roche Diagnostics Corporation
$28
Shire North American Group Inc
$25
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$24
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$22
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$21
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$19
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$19
Phadia US Inc.
$19
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$18
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$18
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$18
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$16
CooperSurgical, Inc.
$14
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$13
TherapeuticsMD, Inc.
$13
Hologic, LLC
$13
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$12
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$12
Top 3 companies account for 28.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADVAIR · AIRSUPRA · AJOVY · ANORO · ANORO ELLIPTA · AREXVY · Aimovig · BEVESPI AEROSPHERE · BREZTRI · CHANTIX · COLOGUARD · COMIRNATY · CREON · Creon · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · ELIQUIS · EMGALITY · ENTRESTO · EUCRISA · EVENITY · Edarbi · Endosee · FARXIGA · FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE · FREESTYLE LIBRE · FREESTYLE LIBRE 2 · FREESTYLE LIBRE 3 · GARDASIL 9 · GELSYN 3 · GLYXAMBI · HUMIRA · Harmony Products · IMVEXXY · INVOKANA · ImmunoCAP · JADA SYSTEM · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · KRYSTEXXA · Kerendia · LATUDA · LINZESS · LONHALA MAGNAIR · LYRICA · MOUNJARO · MYRBETRIQ · Merlin Connectivity and Remote · NAMZARIC · NATPARA (PARATHYROID HORMONE) · NEXPLANON · NUCALA · NURTEC ODT · Nourianz · NovoLog · Otezla · Ozempic · PAXLOVID · PNEUMOVAX 23 · PRADAXA · PRALUENT · Prolia · QULIPTA · QUVIVIQ · RINVOQ · RS Harmony Test Related Products · RYBELSUS · Repatha · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SYMBICORT · SYNTHROID · TOUJEO · TRADJENTA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRINTELLIX · TRULICITY · ThinPrep · Tresiba · Trilogy 100 · Trintellix · Tymlos · UBRELVY · VIBERZI · VIIBRYD · VRAYLAR · Vascepa · Veltassa · Victoza · Wegovy · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · Xultophy 100/3.6 · YUPELRI
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. Total industry engagement is in the top 4% for family medicine in CA.
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
287
Per 100K population
65.9
County median income
$94,486
Nearest hospital
SALINAS VALLEY MEMORIAL 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. Lew is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 11% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 4% 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. Lew experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lew performed 469 office visit, established patient (20-29 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. Lew receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lew received a total of $10,095 from 50 companies across 483 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. Lew's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Salinas?
Dr. Lew's average Medicare payment per service is $38. 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. Lew) 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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