Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Zachary Cohen, M.D.
Pain Medicine · San Diego, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Cohen 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. Cohen?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Cohen
Dr. Zachary Cohen is a pain medicine specialist in San Diego, CA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cohen performed 8,545 Medicare services across 2,412 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cohen received a total of $33,150 from 65 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 826 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in pain medicine. 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. Cohen 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 7% volume in CA
$33,150 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗8,545
Medicare services
Top 7% in CA for pain medicine
2,412
Unique beneficiaries
$48
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~657 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
2,688 | $0 | $16 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
2,018 | $1 | $129 |
| 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. |
1,418 | $95 | $544 |
| 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. |
489 | $69 | $382 |
| 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. |
199 | $125 | $678 |
| Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) A contrast agent containing 300-399 mg/ml of iodine used to enhance imaging studies. It is administered per milliliter to improve the visibility of internal structures. |
185 | $0 | $4 |
| Normal saline infusion, 1000 cc Administration of 1000 cc of normal saline solution into a vein. This procedure involves the intravenous delivery of a sterile saltwater solution. |
151 | $2 | $11 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
122 | $83 | $408 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
122 | $207 | $803 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals. |
121 | $367 | $1,237 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
117 | $213 | $1,184 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
114 | $201 | $772 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
114 | $109 | $392 |
| Ultrasound guidance for needle placement Use of ultrasound imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure. |
110 | $47 | $251 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone. |
91 | $81 | $562 |
| Trigger point injection, 3 or more muscles Injection of medication into three or more specific muscle trigger points to relieve pain. |
76 | $47 | $268 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
70 | $152 | $717 |
| Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg. |
63 | $0 | $56 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
42 | $43 | $236 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
39 | $206 | $858 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement. |
39 | $108 | $427 |
| Spinal injection with imaging guidance A procedure where medication is injected into the middle or upper part of the spinal canal. Imaging technology is used to guide the needle to the correct location. |
29 | $212 | $1,215 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional upper or middle spinal facet joint. |
27 | $220 | $865 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy the nerves supplying a single upper or middle spinal facet joint. It is performed to interrupt pain signals from that specific joint. |
25 | $355 | $1,199 |
| Destruction of nerve branches of knee using imaging guidance | 24 | $323 | $1,065 |
| Knee nerve block injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a nerve branch of the knee, performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
19 | $188 | $590 |
| Injection of lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance, third and any additional level | 17 | $101 | $372 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
16 | $35 | $121 |
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.
1.8% high complexity
68.6% medium
29.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$33,150
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $4,736/year across 7 years
Top 5% in CA for pain medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
65
Companies
826
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
$30,205 (91.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$2,945 (8.9%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$6,180
2023
$3,265
2022
$4,092
2021
$5,245
2020
$4,128
2019
$7,419
2018
$2,823
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$919
Medtronic, Inc.
$909
Nevro Corp.
$897
Abbott Laboratories
$729
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$449
Curonix LLC
$408
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$368
SI-BONE, INC.
$313
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$308
Axonics, Inc.
$289
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$152
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$140
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$73
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$61
Saluda Medical Americas, Inc.
$27
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$25
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$24
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$23
PFIZER INC.
$19
Amgen Inc.
$19
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Medline Industries LP
$13
Top 3 companies account for 44.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Nevro Corp.
$9,074
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$3,887
Abbott Laboratories
$3,683
Boston Scientific Corporation
$3,422
Medtronic, Inc.
$2,387
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$1,541
Vertiflex, Inc.
$971
Vertos Medical, Inc.
$834
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$730
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$723
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$511
Curonix LLC
$511
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$445
SI-BONE, Inc.
$367
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$335
SI-BONE, INC.
$334
Axonics, Inc.
$310
BIONESS INC
$278
Amgen Inc.
$259
Flowonix Medical Incorporated
$200
SCILEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$185
AbbVie Inc.
$181
PAINTEQ LLC
$178
BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc.
$142
Spinal Simplicity, LLC
$134
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$123
Zyla Life Sciences
$118
Merz North America, Inc.
$74
SPR Therapeutics, Inc
$73
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$72
IMPEL PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$70
Saluda Medical Americas, Inc.
$67
ABBVIE INC.
$58
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$57
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$53
BIODELIVERY SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
$44
Lundbeck LLC
$42
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$42
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$39
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$38
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$37
Lilly USA, LLC
$35
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$35
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$33
Almatica Pharma LLC
$32
Zyla Life Sciences, Inc.
$26
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$26
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$25
Biogen, Inc.
$25
Novo Nordisk Inc
$25
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$24
Stimwave Technologies Incorporated
$24
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$24
PFIZER INC.
$19
Pacira Therapeutics, Inc.
$19
CSL Behring
$19
Allergan, Inc.
$17
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.
$16
GENZYME CORPORATION
$15
Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
ARBOR PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$14
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$14
Medline Industries LP
$13
Vision Quest Industries Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 50.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AIMOVIG · AJOVY · AMVUTTRA · Aimovig · Axium INS DRG IPG · Axonics · BELBUCA · Belbuca · DRG IPGs · EMGALITY · ETERNA · EVENITY · Evoke · Evoke SCS · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL THERAPIES · GENERAL - · GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · General - Therapies · HA MINUTEMAN G3-R · HETLIOZ · HORIZANT · HYMOVIS · Hizentra · Horizant · IFUSE IMPLANT · IFUSE IMPLANT SYSTEM · INFINION · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · IONICRF · Inc. · Intracept · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · Kloxxado · LEMTRADA · MAYZENT · Medline Industries · Movantik · NALOCET · NAPRELAN · NORTHERA · NUEDEXTA · NURTEC ODT · Nalu Neurostimulation System · OCTRODE · ORTHOVISC · OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION · Octrode SCS Leads · Omnia · PAINTEQ · PNS FREEDOM-4A PERMANENT NEUROSTIMULATOR RECEIVER KIT CHANNEL A · PROCLAIM · PRODIGY · PROLATE · Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs · Proclaim IPG · Prometra II · QULIPTA · RELISTOR · RESTORE · Radicava · SCS IPGs · SEGLENTIS · SOLIRIS · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SPRINT PNS System · SPRIX · SUPERION · SYNCHROMED · SYNCHROMEDII · Senza · Senza II · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · StimQ Receiver Stimulator Kit Channel A US w Receiver · Stimrouter for pain · Superion · Superion ISS · Superion Indirect Decompression System · TYSABRI · Trudhesa · UBRELVY · VANTA ADAPTIVESTIM · VYEPTI · Vanta · WaveWriter Alpha Prime 16 · Wegovy · XEOMIN · XTAMPZA · Xeomin · ZTLido · Zilretta · iFuse Implant · mild Device Kit
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 (91%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 5% for pain medicine in CA.
Geographic Context
Pain medicines within 10 mi
8
Per 100K population
0.2
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
SHARP MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
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. Cohen is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 5% of CA peers.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Cohen experienced with dexamethasone injection (steroid)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cohen performed 2,688 dexamethasone injection (steroid) 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. Cohen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Cohen received a total of $33,150 from 65 companies across 826 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. Cohen's costs compare to other pain medicines in San Diego?
Dr. Cohen's average Medicare payment per service is $48. 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. Cohen) 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 →
Explore related providers
Same specialty & city
Pain Medicines in San Diego
Browse pain medicines in San Diego ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Pain Medicines in CA
Pain medicines ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Pain Medicines in CA
Which CA pain medicines receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Nevro Corp. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Nevro Corp.
By company
Medtronic USA, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Medtronic USA, Inc.
By company
Abbott Laboratories Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Abbott Laboratories.
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