Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Sima Porten, M.D

Urology Physician · San Francisco, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
1825 4TH STREET, San Francisco, CA 94158
4153537171
In practice since 2007 (19 years)
NPI: 1124157474 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. Porten 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. Porten? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Porten

Dr. Sima Porten is an urology physician in San Francisco, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Porten performed 1,037 Medicare services across 722 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Porten received a total of $52,754 from 16 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 65 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in urology physician. 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. Porten 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 ▲ 1,037 Medicare services $52,754 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,037
Medicare services
Bottom 45% in CA for urology physician
722
Unique beneficiaries
$108
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~55 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
Cystourethroscopy
A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract.
478 $62 $1,271
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.
119 $85 $577
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.
85 $111 $867
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.
75 $56 $393
Imaging of urinary tract with contrast
An imaging test of the urinary tract performed after a contrast agent is injected to enhance visibility of the structures.
41 $22 $135
Endoscopic removal of bladder or urethra growth, 2.0-5.0 cm
This procedure uses an endoscope to destroy or remove a growth from the bladder or urethra that measures between 2.0 and 5.0 centimeters.
40 $247 $1,557
Ureteral stent insertion via endoscope
A flexible tube is inserted into the ureter using an endoscope to keep the passage open and allow urine to flow from the kidney to the bladder.
38 $113 $3,534
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.
29 $66 $575
Bladder/urethra growth removal via endoscope, 0.5-2.0 cm
This procedure uses an endoscope to destroy or remove a growth from the bladder or urethra that measures between 0.5 and 2.0 centimeters.
25 $211 $1,331
Bladder biopsy using endoscope
A procedure to remove a small tissue sample from the bladder using a thin, flexible tube with a camera. The sample is then examined to check for abnormalities.
22 $111 $2,930
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.
19 $30 $241
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.
15 $70 $183
Radical cystectomy with lymph node removal and urinary diversion
Surgical removal of the bladder and pelvic lymph nodes, with rerouting of the ureters to the intestine to create a new opening for urine drainage.
14 $1,920 $11,753
Bladder instillation of anti-cancer drug
A procedure where an anti-cancer medication is introduced directly into the bladder. This method delivers the treatment locally to the bladder tissue.
14 $19 $711
Bladder tumor removal via endoscope
This procedure involves using an endoscope to destroy or remove a large growth from the bladder.
12 $326 $2,706
Endoscopic destruction of bladder/urethra growth, less than 0.5 cm
A procedure to remove abnormal tissue growths from the bladder or urethra using an endoscope. This specific code applies when the growths are smaller than 0.5 centimeters.
11 $151 $7,115
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.
3.7% high complexity
6.1% medium
90.3% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$52,754
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $7,536/year across 7 years
Top 6% in CA for urology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
16
Companies
65
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
$43,631 (82.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$7,888 (15.0%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,234 (2.3%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$12,262
2023
$79
2022
$6,993
2021
$15,849
2020
$7,954
2019
$8,839
2018
$778

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Stryker Corporation
$5,260
Janssen Research & Development, LLC
$4,725
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$2,040
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$149
IMMUNITYBIO, INC.
$32
Boston Scientific Corporation
$29
Astellas Pharma Global Development
$26
Top 3 companies account for 98.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Photocure Inc
$10,322
Stryker Corporation
$10,114
UROGEN PHARMA, INC.
$9,600
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$7,986
Janssen Research & Development, LLC
$4,725
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$3,500
COLOPLAST CORP
$2,812
Seagen Inc.
$2,800
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$314
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$198
PFIZER INC.
$140
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$78
Boston Scientific Corporation
$59
Lilly USA, LLC
$46
IMMUNITYBIO, INC.
$32
Astellas Pharma Global Development
$26
Top 3 companies account for 56.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
1688 · 1788 · ADSTILADRIN · ANKTIVA · CYSVIEW · Cysview · Da Vinci Surgical System · ICONIX · INLYTA · JELMYTO · L10 · OPDIVO · PADCEV · Padcev · Rezum Generator · SpaceOAR System · SpeediCath · XTANDI
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 (83%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 6% for urology physician in CA.

Looking for an urology physician in San Francisco?
Compare urology physicians in the San Francisco area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Urology physicians within 10 mi
145
Per 100K population
17.3
County median income
$141,446
Nearest hospital
CALIFORNIA PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTER - MISSION BERNAL
2.1 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. Porten is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 6% 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. Porten experienced with cystourethroscopy?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Porten performed 478 cystourethroscopy 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. Porten receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Porten received a total of $52,754 from 16 companies across 65 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. Porten's costs compare to other urology physicians in San Francisco?
Dr. Porten's average Medicare payment per service is $108. 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. Porten) 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 →