Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Steven Cullen, MD

Internal Medicine · San Clemente, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
665 CAMINO DE LOS MARES STE 309, San Clemente, CA 92673
9494879034
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1487765731 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Cullen 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. Cullen

Dr. Steven Cullen is an internal medicine specialist in San Clemente, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cullen performed 2,042 Medicare services across 979 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cullen received a total of $967 from 14 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 31 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. Cullen 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 16% volume in CA $967 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
2,042
Medicare services
Top 16% in CA for internal medicine
979
Unique beneficiaries
$85
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~107 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.
616 $102 $180
Blood draw (venipuncture)
Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample.
228 $8 $20
Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity
Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
223 $98 $500
Office visit for established patient
An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present.
148 $18 $35
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.
142 $76 $140
Initial hospital admission, high complexity
Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
121 $133 $1,000
Hospital discharge management, 30+ min
This service covers the care provided by a physician or qualified healthcare professional on the day a patient is discharged from the hospital. It requires more than 30 minutes of total time spent on the day of discharge.
83 $97 $600
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.
82 $130 $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.
72 $33 $50
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.
71 $72 $85
Home visit, established patient, high complexity
A home visit for an established patient involving high-level medical decision making, lasting at least 60 minutes.
63 $143 $340
Automated urinalysis
An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine.
49 $2 $20
Same-day hospital admission and discharge, high complexity
Initial hospital care for a patient admitted and discharged on the same day, involving a high level of medical decision making. This service requires at least 85 minutes of time spent on the day of the visit.
42 $169 $1,000
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.
23 $12 $100
Transitional care management, high complexity
Coordination of care for a patient transitioning from a short-term hospital stay or other facility to home or another care setting. This service addresses a high-complexity medical problem.
23 $241 $350
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.
22 $283 $325
Pneumonia vaccine administration
This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider.
22 $33 $50
Echocardiogram, transthoracic
An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function.
12 $126 $700
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.
0.6% high complexity
0.0% medium
99.4% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$967
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $138/year across 7 years
Top 36% in CA for internal medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
14
Companies
31
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
$967 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$55
2023
$65
2022
$193
2021
$61
2020
$24
2019
$194
2018
$376

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$55
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$199
Lilly USA, LLC
$186
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$143
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$116
Boston Scientific Corporation
$106
Amgen Inc.
$43
ABBVIE INC.
$42
Novo Nordisk Inc
$39
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$24
PFIZER INC.
$23
Concordia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18
Genentech USA, Inc.
$13
Seqirus USA Inc
$11
bioMerieux
$5
Top 3 companies account for 54.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Aimovig · CHANTIX · DIFICID · DONNATAL · ELIQUIS · Fluad · GENERAL BPH · JARDIANCE · MOUNJARO · Otezla · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · QULIPTA · Repatha · SHINGRIX · TRULICITY · VIDAS BRAHMS PCT · VRAYLAR · XARELTO · Xofluza
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.

Looking for an internal medicine specialist in San Clemente?
Compare internal medicine physicians in the San Clemente area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Internal medicine physicians within 10 mi
806
Per 100K population
25.5
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
ALISO RIDGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, LLC
10.0 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. Cullen is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% 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. Cullen experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cullen performed 616 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. Cullen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Cullen received a total of $967 from 14 companies across 31 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. Cullen's costs compare to other internal medicine physicians in San Clemente?
Dr. Cullen's average Medicare payment per service is $85. 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. Cullen) 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 →
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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Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →