Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Erik Viirre, M.D.

Neurology · San Diego, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Speaking/Promotional
200 W ARBOR DR, San Diego, CA 92103
6195433000
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1093743601 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. Viirre 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. Viirre? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Viirre

Dr. Erik Viirre is a neurology specialist in San Diego, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Viirre performed 8,940 Medicare services across 482 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Viirre received a total of $17,696 from 12 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 105 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurology. 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. Viirre 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 $17,696 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
8,940
Medicare services
Top 11% in CA for neurology
482
Unique beneficiaries
$12
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~471 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
Botox injection, per unit
An injection of onabotulinumtoxinA, a medication used to temporarily relax muscles or reduce gland activity. The dose is measured in units, with this code representing a single unit administered.
8,261 $5 $24
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.
387 $92 $369
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.
139 $125 $559
Head repositioning exercises for dizziness
A series of exercises performed to reposition the head, used to treat dizziness. The procedure is administered on a daily basis.
64 $35 $170
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.
54 $139 $543
Bilateral facial and neck nerve muscle paralysis injection
Injection of a chemical agent to paralyze muscles in the face and neck on both sides.
35 $128 $608
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 ↗
$17,696
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,528/year across 7 years
Top 17% in CA for neurology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
12
Companies
105
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
$14,932 (84.4%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,827 (10.3%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$937 (5.3%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$339
2023
$162
2022
$295
2021
$164
2020
$1,197
2019
$14,230
2018
$1,308

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
PFIZER INC.
$178
ABBVIE INC.
$161
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Lilly USA, LLC
$15,039
Allergan, Inc.
$1,060
Amgen Inc.
$639
PFIZER INC.
$178
ABBVIE INC.
$161
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$153
Lundbeck LLC
$143
Allergan Inc.
$106
IMPEL PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$104
AbbVie Inc.
$47
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$39
GENZYME CORPORATION
$26
Top 3 companies account for 94.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIMOVIG · AJOVY · Aimovig · BOTOX · BOTOX - NEUROLOGY · EMGALITY · LEMTRADA · LIVALO · MAYZENT · NURTEC ODT · QULIPTA · Trudhesa · UBRELVY · VYEPTI
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 (84%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in neurology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Looking for a neurology specialist in San Diego?
Compare neurologists in the San Diego area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse neurologists nearby

Geographic Context

Neurologists within 10 mi
177
Per 100K population
5.4
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
UC SAN DIEGO HEALTH HILLCREST - HILLCREST MED CTR
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. Viirre is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 11% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 17% 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. Viirre experienced with botox injection, per unit?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Viirre performed 8,261 botox injection, per unit 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. Viirre receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Viirre received a total of $17,696 from 12 companies across 105 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. Viirre's costs compare to other neurologists in San Diego?
Dr. Viirre's average Medicare payment per service is $12. 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. Viirre) 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 →