Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Robert Adamson, M.D.

Thoracic Surgery · San Diego, CA
Practice pattern: Interventional & Cardiac — Practice combining interventional and cardiac services
Consulting-driven
8010 FROST ST, San Diego, CA 92123
8589397471
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1043292584 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. Adamson 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. Adamson

Dr. Robert Adamson is a thoracic surgery specialist in San Diego, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Adamson performed 107 Medicare services across 102 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Adamson received a total of $99,375 from 12 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 100 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in thoracic 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. Adamson 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.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ 107 Medicare services $99,375 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
107
Medicare services
Bottom 35% in CA for thoracic surgery
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
102
Unique beneficiaries
$283
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~5 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 (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.
 28 $140 $528
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.
 25 $74 $262
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement via femoral artery
A minimally invasive procedure to replace a diseased aortic heart valve using a catheter inserted through the skin and femoral artery.
 23 $587 $3,892
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.
 20 $109 $398
Arterial thrombectomy, chest, neck, or brain
A procedure to remove a blood clot and part of an artery in the chest, neck, or brain.
 11 $804 $3,158
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.
21.5% high complexity
0.0% medium
78.5% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2023 ↗
$99,375
Total received (2018-2023)
Avg $16,562/year across 6 years
Top 7% in CA for thoracic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
12
Companies
100
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
$96,296 (96.9%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$3,061 (3.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$17 (0.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2023
$168
2022
$12,993
2021
$392
2020
$9,818
2019
$58,285
2018
$17,718

Payments by company (2023)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$81
Baxter Healthcare
$47
ABIOMED
$22
Abbott Laboratories
$18
Top 3 companies account for 89.4% of 2023 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2023) ›
Abbott Laboratories
$96,495
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$2,040
CathWorks, Inc.
$235
Shockwave Medical, Inc
$178
ABIOMED
$167
Boston Scientific Corporation
$88
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$49
Baxter Healthcare
$47
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$29
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$19
Trevena, Inc.
$17
SynCardia Systems, LLC
$11
Top 3 companies account for 99.4% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AVEIR · C3 Delivery System · Circulatory Support · EXCLUDER Iliac Branch Endoprosthesis · FFRangio System · GENERAL THERAPIES · GORE EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Thoracic Branch Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · HeartMate · HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Dev · Hillrom - Cardiac Ambulatory Monitor · IN.PACT Admiral · Impella · LifeVest · OLINVYK · Quadra Assura CRT Defibrillator · SternaLock 360 · TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · THORATEC HEARTMATE 3 LVAS IMPLANT KIT · The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart · Vascular Lithotripsy
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 (97%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for thoracic surgery in CA.

Looking for a thoracic surgery specialist in San Diego?
Compare thoracic surgerists in the San Diego area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Thoracic surgerists within 10 mi
44
Per 100K population
1.3
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
SHARP MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
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 2023
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. Adamson is an interventional & cardiac specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 7% of CA peers, with 20 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. Adamson experienced with new patient office visit (45-59 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Adamson performed 28 new patient office visit (45-59 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. Adamson receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Adamson received a total of $99,375 from 12 companies across 100 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. Adamson's costs compare to other thoracic surgerists in San Diego?
Dr. Adamson's average Medicare payment per service is $283. 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. Adamson) 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.

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 →