Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Cynthia Schaeffer, M.D.

Optician · San Diego, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
292 EUCLID AVE, San Diego, CA 92114
6192663332
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1740352293 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. Schaeffer 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 →
Are you Dr. Schaeffer? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Schaeffer

Dr. Cynthia Schaeffer is an optician specialist in San Diego, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Schaeffer performed 527 Medicare services across 490 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Schaeffer received a total of $5,863 from 29 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 305 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Schaeffer 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 ▲ 527 Medicare services $5,863 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
527
Medicare services
Bottom 32% in CA for optician
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
490
Unique beneficiaries
$102
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~28 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
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.
114 $62 $422
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.
88 $95 $325
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.
87 $61 $217
Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare
This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination.
83 $206 $4,006
Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy
A procedure to collect tissue samples from the esophagus, stomach, or upper small intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities.
57 $95 $2,250
Colonoscopy
A diagnostic exam of the large bowel using a flexible endoscope to visualize the interior of the colon.
25 $147 $2,484
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.
22 $113 $448
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity
Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
19 $97 $489
Colonoscopy with biopsy
A procedure to collect tissue samples from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities or disease.
18 $122 $2,850
Liver stiffness measurement
A non-invasive test that uses ultrasound or similar technology to measure the stiffness of liver tissue. This measurement helps assess the degree of liver fibrosis or scarring.
14 $23 $220
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 ↗
$5,863
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $838/year across 7 years
Top 21% in CA for optician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
29
Companies
305
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
$5,863 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,062
2023
$717
2022
$791
2021
$727
2020
$326
2019
$892
2018
$1,349

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$319
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$251
Amgen Inc.
$125
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$80
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$60
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$51
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$50
Ardelyx, Inc.
$32
PFIZER INC.
$28
Medtronic, Inc.
$26
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$23
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 65.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
AbbVie Inc.
$1,011
ABBVIE INC.
$795
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$768
AbbVie, Inc.
$715
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$489
Allergan Inc.
$344
PFIZER INC.
$225
NuVasive, Inc.
$212
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$189
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$168
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$151
Amgen Inc.
$125
Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc
$122
SI-BONE, Inc.
$90
INTERCEPT PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$56
Covidien LP
$53
Ardelyx, Inc.
$48
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$46
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$43
Allergan, Inc.
$41
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$35
Medtronic, Inc.
$26
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$23
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$19
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$17
Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$13
Alcresta Therapeutics, Inc.
$13
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$12
Top 3 companies account for 43.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
APRISO · Amitiza · AttraX · CLENPIQ · COHERE · CREON · Creon · DAYBUE · DUPIXENT · Dexilant · ENTYVIO · EOHILIA · EVENITY · Entyvio · GATTEX · GI GENIUS · HUMIRA · Humira · IBSRELA · LINZESS · Linzess · MAVYRET · MOTEGRITY · MaXcess-C · Mavyret · Nuvaline/NuvaMap O.R. · OCALIVA · Osteocel · PillCam · RELIZORB · RINVOQ · SKYRIZI · STELARA · SYNFIX Evolution · TREMFYA · TRULANCE · Talicia · Trulance · VIBERZI · VOQUEZNA · XELJANZ · XIFAXAN · ZENPEP · ZEPATIER · iFuse Implant
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 optician specialist in San Diego?
Compare opticians in the San Diego area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse opticians nearby

Geographic Context

Opticians within 10 mi
392
Per 100K population
11.9
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
PARADISE VALLEY HOSPITAL
3.5 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. Schaeffer is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, 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. Schaeffer experienced with new patient office visit (30-44 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Schaeffer performed 114 new patient office visit (30-44 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. Schaeffer receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Schaeffer received a total of $5,863 from 29 companies across 305 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. Schaeffer's costs compare to other opticians in San Diego?
Dr. Schaeffer's average Medicare payment per service is $102. 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. Schaeffer) 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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

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 →