Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Richard Allen, MD, PHD
Orthopedic Surgery · San Diego, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
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. Allen 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. Allen
Dr. Richard Allen is an orthopedic surgery specialist in San Diego, CA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Allen performed 1,190 Medicare services across 762 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Allen received a total of $417,076 from 28 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 621 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Allen 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.
✓ 17 years in practice
▲ Top 42% volume in CA
$417,076 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,190
Medicare services
Top 42% in CA for orthopedic surgery
762
Unique beneficiaries
$363
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~70 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
331 | $307 | $1,656 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
158 | $165 | $730 |
| 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. |
74 | $108 | $531 |
| 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. |
72 | $116 | $479 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
71 | $187 | $942 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
50 | $558 | $3,875 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
40 | $596 | $2,640 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 37 | $1,099 | $6,665 |
| 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. |
32 | $80 | $355 |
| Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with partial disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse the lower spine bones by accessing the area through the abdomen and partially removing a spinal disc. |
31 | $699 | $5,395 |
| 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. |
31 | $52 | $230 |
| Anterior spinal fusion with partial disc removal, each additional disc This procedure involves fusing spine bones together through an incision in the front of the body, with partial removal of the disc, for each additional disc treated. |
29 | $244 | $1,156 |
| Spinal fusion of neck, posterior approach A surgical procedure to join two or more vertebrae in the cervical spine using a back approach to stabilize the neck. |
23 | $781 | $5,198 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment Surgical removal of part of the spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves in one segment. |
22 | $515 | $5,145 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 7-12 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the back involving 7 to 12 spine bone segments. |
21 | $644 | $3,194 |
| Anterior cervical spine fusion with disc removal Surgical procedure to fuse upper spine bones through the front of the neck, involving partial removal of the intervertebral disc. |
17 | $537 | $4,199 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
17 | $509 | $2,522 |
| Graft of donor bone to spine | 16 | $87 | $643 |
| Lower back spinal fusion with bone and disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae in the lower back. It involves removing part of the spine bone and a disc to stabilize the area. |
15 | $1,320 | $7,701 |
| Anterior removal of upper spine bone with nerve release, single segment This procedure involves removing a bone from the upper spine through an anterior approach to release pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is performed on a single spinal segment. |
15 | $735 | $6,134 |
| Spinal fusion with disc removal and nerve release, 1 disc This surgery connects two or more vertebrae in the upper spine to stabilize the area. It involves removing a damaged disc and relieving pressure on the spinal cord or nerve. |
14 | $1,260 | $5,973 |
| Spinal fusion with cage or mesh insertion A surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space between the bones. |
14 | $264 | $1,546 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release during fusion This procedure involves removing part of the bone in a single segment of the lower spine to release the spinal cord or nerves, performed during a spinal fusion. |
14 | $204 | $1,187 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 4-7 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of the spine across four to seven bone segments. |
12 | $595 | $2,618 |
| Open sacroiliac joint fusion with bone graft A surgical procedure to fuse the sacroiliac joint between the spine and pelvis using an open technique and bone graft. |
12 | $1,458 | $18,258 |
| Spinal fusion, upper back A surgical procedure to join two or more vertebrae in the upper back to eliminate motion between them. |
11 | $640 | $4,978 |
| 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. |
11 | $68 | $328 |
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.
52.0% high complexity
0.0% medium
48.0% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$417,076
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $59,582/year across 7 years
Top 4% in CA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
28
Companies
621
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.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$291,682 (69.9%)
Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$103,387 (24.8%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$22,007 (5.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$47,388
2023
$38,471
2022
$136,343
2021
$32,930
2020
$42,943
2019
$56,659
2018
$62,343
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$27,908
Kuros Biosciences AG
$12,237
Globus Medical, Inc.
$4,918
Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc
$1,804
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$390
DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
$54
SI-BONE, INC.
$30
Medtronic, Inc.
$28
Cerapedics Inc.
$20
Top 3 companies account for 95.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$236,110
DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
$112,411
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$22,109
Kuros Biosciences AG
$12,237
Prosidyan, Inc
$10,762
Globus Medical, Inc.
$8,072
Ethicon Inc.
$4,635
Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc
$3,462
DePuy Synthes Products LLC
$3,290
NuVasive, Inc.
$1,785
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$390
SEASPINE ORTHOPEDICS CORPORATION
$376
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$299
Medtronic, Inc.
$222
SI-BONE, INC.
$200
Spinal Simplicity, LLC
$197
Surgalign Spine Technologies, Inc.
$135
MML US, Inc.
$102
Stryker Corporation
$71
SI-BONE, Inc.
$38
DJO, LLC
$34
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$29
Boston Scientific Corporation
$22
Ethicon US, LLC
$21
Cerapedics Inc.
$20
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
Wenzel Spine, Inc.
$16
Augmedics Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 88.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
3-Degrees Anterior Cervical Plating (ACP) System · ACF · ACIS · ALIF · ALTERA · ARCH · ARTIC-L 3D TI SPINAL SYSTEM WITH TIONIC TECHNOLOGY · Anterior Disc Prep · BASE · BENGAL · BRAINLAB · Biologics · Biomet SpinalPak · CANOPY · CLYDESDALE PTC SPINAL SYSTEM · CMF · CONCORDE · CONDUIT · CONFIDENCE · CONFIDENCE SPINAL CEMENT SYSTEM · COUGAR · CREO 5.5 · CREO Fenestrated · CREO Threaded · CoRoent · Direct Look · EXPEDIUM · Excelsius Deformity · Excelsius3D Imaging System · ExcelsiusGPS Robotic Navigation System · Expedium VERSE · FIBERGRAFT · FIBERGRAFT BG MORSELS · FIBERGRAFT BG Morsels · FIBULINK · FORTIFY · Fibergraft · FormaGraft · Hedron IA · I-FACTOR PEPTIDE ENHANCED BONE GRAFT · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · INTERCONTINENTAL · KYPHON EXPRESS II KYPHOPAK TRAY · LNH · LessRay · M6-C · MAGNETOS · MOUNTAINEER · MTF · MagnetOs · Mariner · Minuteman · NAVIGATION · NAVLOCK · NVM5 · OPAL · Osteocel · PILLAR PL and TL PEEK Spacer System · PLIF · Propel · Pulse · RELINE · RISE · RISE-L · ReActiv8 · SABLE · SERRATO · SKYLINE · SPOTLIGHT · SUPERION · SURGIFLO Hemostatic Matrix Family of Products · SYMPHONY · SYNAPSE · SYNFIX · SYNFIX Evolution · SYNFLATE · Sentio · Sentio MMG · Simplify Cervical Artificial Disc · Spinal Pak 2 · Spine & Trauma 3D Navigation · TLIF · TLX · TRADJENTA · Teligen · VERTECEM II · VIPER · VIVIGEN MIS DELIVERY SYSTEM · VariLift · ViviGen · Vivigen MIS Delivery System · XLIF · Xvision · ZERO-P · 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 →
The majority of payments (70%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 4% for orthopedic surgery in CA.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
257
Per 100K population
7.8
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
UC SAN DIEGO HEALTH HILLCREST - HILLCREST MED CTR
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. Allen is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 4% of CA peers, with 17 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. Allen experienced with spinal fusion of additional segment?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Allen performed 331 spinal fusion of additional segment 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. Allen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Allen received a total of $417,076 from 28 companies across 621 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. Allen's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in San Diego?
Dr. Allen's average Medicare payment per service is $363. 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. Allen) 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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