Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Charles Eichler, MD

Surgery · San Francisco, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
400 PARNASSUS AVE, San Francisco, CA 94143
4153532357
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1265498729 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. Eichler 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. Eichler? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Eichler

Dr. Charles Eichler is a surgery specialist in San Francisco, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Eichler performed 984 Medicare services across 878 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Eichler received a total of $346,296 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 598 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. 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. Eichler 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 9% volume in CA $346,296 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
984
Medicare services
Top 9% in CA for surgery
878
Unique beneficiaries
$71
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~52 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
Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries
A non-invasive imaging test that uses sound waves to examine the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It evaluates blood flow and checks for blockages or other vascular issues.
168 $17 $117
Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts
An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the blood vessels in the legs or any surgical grafts present.
110 $30 $203
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
102 $27 $241
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.
85 $54 $393
Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral
An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck.
80 $31 $206
Ultrasound of arm or leg veins
An ultrasound exam of the veins in the arm or leg. The test uses sound waves to check blood flow and may include compression and other maneuvers.
74 $28 $178
Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts
An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to create images of the arteries in one leg or any grafts present in that leg.
62 $18 $597
Ultrasound of arm or leg veins
An ultrasound exam of the veins in one arm or leg using compression and other maneuvers to assess blood flow and check for blockages.
54 $17 $592
New patient office visit, 15-29 minutes
An initial office visit for a new patient lasting 15 to 29 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter meets this duration threshold.
46 $39 $406
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.
35 $69 $575
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.
34 $838 $8,112
Ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts
This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the aorta, vena cava, groin vessels, or bypass grafts. It allows for the visualization of these blood vessels and any surgical grafts.
34 $18 $125
Complete ultrasound of abdomen and pelvis blood flow
This procedure uses sound waves to create images of blood flow in the arteries and veins of the abdomen and pelvis. It evaluates the rate and direction of blood movement within these vessels.
25 $45 $466
Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries
This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It allows healthcare providers to examine the structure and blood flow within these arteries.
21 $10 $66
Neck artery stent insertion with clot protection
A procedure to place a stent in a neck artery to keep it open, using a device to protect against blood clots during the process. A radiologist reviews the procedure.
15 $819 $5,830
Ultrasound of hemodialysis access
An ultrasound imaging test used to evaluate the blood flow and structure of a hemodialysis access site.
15 $18 $121
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.
12 $171 $1,718
Complete ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts
A complete ultrasound exam of the aorta, vena cava, groin vessels, or bypass grafts. This imaging test uses sound waves to visualize these blood vessels.
12 $27 $202
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.
10.9% high complexity
61.9% medium
27.2% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$346,296
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $49,471/year across 7 years
Top 1% in CA for surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
13
Companies
598
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
$273,795 (79.1%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$66,947 (19.3%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$5,553 (1.6%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$38,611
2023
$64,769
2022
$43,587
2021
$19,163
2020
$40,192
2019
$66,500
2018
$73,473

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Silk Road Medical, Inc.
$19,328
Medtronic, Inc.
$11,384
Globus Medical, Inc.
$7,500
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$377
Abbott Laboratories
$22
Top 3 companies account for 99.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Medtronic, Inc.
$98,540
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$81,378
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$52,970
NuVasive, Inc.
$52,626
Silk Road Medical, Inc.
$43,405
Globus Medical, Inc.
$7,500
Shockwave Medical, Inc
$3,867
Abbott Laboratories
$3,119
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$2,451
Endologix LLC
$273
Cook Medical LLC
$137
Bolton Medical Inc
$27
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$3
Top 3 companies account for 67.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACUSEAL Vascular Graft · ALIF · ANTERALIGN SPINAL SYSTEM WITH TITAN NANOLOCK SURFACE TECHNOLOGY · Absolute Pro vascular stent system · Acculink carotid stent system · Alto Abdominal Stent Graft System · Archon · C3 Delivery System · CAPSTONE · CD HORIZON · CLYDESDALE · CLYDESDALE PTC SPINAL SYSTEM · Conformable TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System · DIVERGENCE-L · DIVERGENCE-L ANTERIOR/OBLIQUE LUMBAR FUSION SYSTEM · ENHANCE Transcarotid Peripheral Access Kit · ENROUTE .014 Guidewire · ENROUTE Enflate Transcarotid RX Balloon Dilatation Catheter · ENROUTE Transcarotid Neuroprotection System · ENROUTE Transcarotid Stent · EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · EXCLUDER Conformable AAA Endoprosthesis with Active Control · EXCLUDER Iliac Branch Endoprosthesis · FormaGraft · Fulfill Graft Containment · GORE ACUSEAL Vascular Graft · GORE DRYSEAL FLEX Introducer Sheath · GORE EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · GORE EXCLUDER Iliac Branch Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Conformable Thoracic Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Conformable Thoracic Stent Graft · GORE TAG Thoracic Branch Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis · GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with Heparin · GORE VIABAHN VBX Balloon Expandable Endo · HELI-FX ENDOANCHOR SYSTEM · Hi-Torque Command guide wire · JETI ALL IN ONE NON-STERILE KIT · LessRay · MAZOR X SYSTEM · PIVOX OBLIQUE LATERAL SPINAL SYSTEM · PIVOX Oblique Lateral Spinal System · PROPATEN Bioactive Surface · PROPATEN Vascular Graft · Perclose ProGlide suture mediated closure system · Relay Grafts · SEAMGUARD Staple Line Reinforcement · SHOCKWAVE IVL SYSTEM WITH THE SHOCKWAVE C2 CORONARY IVL CATHETER · TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · TIGRIS Stent · UNID_PASS · VIABAHN Endoprosthesis · VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with Heparin Bioactive Surface · VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with PROPATEN Bioactive Surface · VIABAHN VBX Balloon Expandable Endoprosthesis · Vascular Lithotripsy · XLIF · Xact carotid stent system
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 (79%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 1% for surgery in CA.

Looking for a surgery specialist in San Francisco?
Compare surgerists in the San Francisco area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse surgerists nearby

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. Eichler is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 9% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 1% 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. Eichler experienced with ultrasound of arm and leg arteries?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Eichler performed 168 ultrasound of arm and leg arteries 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. Eichler receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Eichler received a total of $346,296 from 13 companies across 598 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. Eichler's costs compare to other surgerists in San Francisco?
Dr. Eichler's average Medicare payment per service is $71. 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. Eichler) 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 →