Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Benjamin Cullen, D.P.M.
Foot & Ankle Surgery Podiatrist · San Diego, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
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. Benjamin Cullen is a foot & ankle surgery podiatrist in San Diego, CA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cullen performed 1,692 Medicare services across 916 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cullen received a total of $19,554 from 64 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 197 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in foot & ankle surgery podiatrist. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. 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.
✓ 13 years in practice
▲ Top 41% volume in CA
$19,554 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,692
Medicare services
Top 41% in CA for foot & ankle surgery podiatrist
916
Unique beneficiaries
$54
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~130 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toenail/fingernail removal, 6+ nails Surgical removal of six or more fingernails or toenails. This procedure involves the excision of multiple nails during a single session. |
453 | $35 | $90 |
| 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. |
274 | $70 | $143 |
| Foot X-ray, 3+ views An X-ray imaging test of the foot that captures at least three different views to evaluate the bones and joints. |
144 | $28 | $95 |
| Removal of thickened skin growths, 2-4 This procedure involves the removal of two to four benign, thickened skin growths. It is a minor surgical intervention to eliminate non-cancerous skin lesions. |
141 | $70 | $115 |
| 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. |
100 | $46 | $83 |
| 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. |
98 | $79 | $197 |
| Removal of more than 4 noncancerous thickened skin growths This procedure involves the removal of more than four noncancerous thickened skin growths. It is a surgical intervention to eliminate benign skin lesions. |
87 | $74 | $125 |
| Removal of noncancer thickened skin growth, 1 growth This procedure involves the removal of a single benign, thickened skin growth. It is a minor surgical intervention to eliminate the lesion. |
68 | $60 | $95 |
| Skin and tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less This procedure involves the surgical excision of skin and underlying tissue from an area measuring 20 square centimeters or smaller. |
57 | $98 | $223 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
51 | $0 | $5 |
| 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. |
39 | $99 | $195 |
| Ankle X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the ankle that captures at least three different angles to evaluate the bones and joints. |
33 | $30 | $100 |
| New patient office visit, 15-29 minutes An initial office visit for a new patient lasting 15 to 29 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter meets this duration threshold. |
28 | $58 | $140 |
| Toenail/fingernail removal, 1-5 nails This procedure involves the removal of one to five fingernails or toenails. |
27 | $28 | $66 |
| 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. |
25 | $136 | $442 |
| X-ray of foot, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the foot using two different angles to create pictures of the bones and joints. |
24 | $24 | $70 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
15 | $40 | $120 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
15 | $132 | $295 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
13 | $1 | $5 |
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 ↗$19,554
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,793/year across 7 years
Top 6% in CA for foot & ankle surgery podiatrist
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
64
Companies
197
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.
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$10,138 (51.8%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$6,501 (33.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$2,558 (13.1%)
Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$357 (1.8%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$8,997
2023
$3,195
2022
$1,186
2021
$772
2020
$373
2019
$1,461
2018
$3,569
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Arthrex, Inc.
$3,750
Synthes GmbH
$1,901
Paragon 28, Inc.
$1,645
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$357
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$222
Stryker Corporation
$158
Trimed, Inc.
$146
Nevro Corp.
$138
Elevate Surgical CO
$111
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$88
Acera Surgical, Inc.
$71
Kerecis Limited
$69
MIMEDX Group, Inc.
$66
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$57
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$53
ABBVIE INC.
$47
Aroa Biosurgery Incorporated
$33
Medtronic, Inc.
$22
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$18
Boston Scientific Corporation
$17
Fusion Orthopedics USA, LLC
$14
Dynasplint Systems Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 81.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Arthrex, Inc.
$5,362
Synthes GmbH
$3,567
Paragon 28, Inc.
$1,922
SportsTek Medical, Inc
$1,209
Modulated Imaging, Inc.
$913
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$764
Stryker Corporation
$738
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$368
Nevro Corp.
$359
Boston Scientific Corporation
$327
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$195
TREACE MEDICAL CONCEPTS, INC.
$190
AbbVie Inc.
$184
Kerecis Limited
$168
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$167
Wright Medical Technology, Inc.
$165
Horizon Pharma plc
$156
Advanced Oxygen Therapy Inc.
$153
Trimed, Inc.
$146
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$125
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$125
Acera Surgical, Inc.
$123
Elevate Surgical CO
$111
Aroa Biosurgery Incorporated
$105
Misonix Inc
$105
Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation Inc.
$105
Medline Industries, Inc.
$102
Anika Therapeutics, Inc.
$101
Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.
$98
Orpyx Medical Technologies US Inc.
$94
Bioventus LLC
$88
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS INC.
$88
ABBVIE INC.
$75
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$74
MIMEDX Group, Inc.
$66
Dynasplint Systems Inc.
$59
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$57
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$56
Organogenesis Inc.
$56
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$55
Melinta Therapeutics, LLC
$54
Medtronic, Inc.
$53
Arthrosurface Incorporated
$45
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$42
Zyla Life Sciences
$39
In2Bones USA, LLC
$38
Radius Health, Inc.
$35
Medartis Inc.
$28
MedShape, Inc.
$26
Abbott Laboratories
$25
Davol Inc.
$24
BioTissue Holdings, Inc.
$23
MEDLINE INDUSTRIES LP
$22
Reprise Biomedical, Inc.
$21
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$19
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$19
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$18
bsn medical inc
$18
AXOGEN
$17
Elevate Surgical Co
$16
TISSUETECH, INC.
$16
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$16
Fusion Orthopedics USA, LLC
$14
Amniox Medical, Inc.
$5
Top 3 companies account for 55.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACell · APTUS · ARISTA AH FLEXITIP · AUGMENT INJECTABLE · AccelStim · Affinity · AlloAid Allograft · Apligraf · Aptus · Avance Nerve Graft · BILAYER WOUND MATRIX (BWM) · BME NITINOL CONTINUOUS COMPRESSION IMPLANTS · Baxdela · Bone Anchors with Arthroscopic Delivery System · COLLAGENASE SANTYL · CUTIMED SORBION · Clarifi Imaging System · DALVANCE · DynaNail · Dynasplint · Exogen · Exogen Ultrasound Bone Healing System · FLEXITOUCH · Fibulink · Flexitouch Plus · Foot & Ankle-None · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · HOFFMANN · HemiCAP MTP Resurfacing · Hyalomatrix Wound Device · INC. · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · Integra · Juggerknot-Foot & Ankle · Juggerloc · KRYSTEXXA · Kerecis Omega3 SurgiClose · Kimyrsa · LAPIPLASTY SYSTEM · Lapidus Plate · MEDLINE INDUSTRIES · MOTOBAND · Miro3D · Monkey Rings · N/A · NEOX · NEURAGEN · NUZYRA · Nextremity Nextra Hammertoe · OMEGA · ORTHOLOC · ORTHOLOC 2 LAPIFUSE · ORTHOLOC 3DI · Omnia · Orpyx SI · PROCLAIM · Parcus Suture Anchors · Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy System · Portfolio · Precision MIS Bunion · QUTENZA · R3ACT · RAYOS · REELX · Restrata Wound Matrix · SALTO TALARIS TOTAL ANKLE PROSTHESIS · SIVEXTRO · SONICANCHOR · SPRINT PNS System · SPRIX · SUBFIX · Santyl · Senza · SonicOne · T2 · TEFLARO · Tactoset · TheraSkin · Tools - AFS · Tools - WFS · Topical oxygen chamber for extremities · Topical wound oxygen · Tymlos · VA-LCP · VARIAX
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 →
The majority of payments (52%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in foot & ankle surgery podiatrist and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 6% for foot & ankle surgery podiatrist in CA.
Geographic Context
Foot & ankle surgery podiatrists within 10 mi
73
Per 100K population
2.2
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
UC SAN DIEGO HEALTH HILLCREST - HILLCREST MED CTR
2.3 mi
2.3 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 moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 6% of CA peers.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Cullen experienced with toenail/fingernail removal, 6+ nails?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cullen performed 453 toenail/fingernail removal, 6+ nails 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 $19,554 from 64 companies across 197 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 foot & ankle surgery podiatrists in San Diego?
Dr. Cullen's average Medicare payment per service is $54. 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 →
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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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