Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Cheryl Ketelsen
Medical Physician Assistant · San Luis Obispo, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
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. Ketelsen 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. Ketelsen
Dr. Cheryl Ketelsen is a medical physician assistant in San Luis Obispo, CA, with 9 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Ketelsen performed 22,366 Medicare services across 3,881 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Ketelsen received a total of $2,581 from 17 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 80 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in medical physician assistant. 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. Ketelsen 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.
✓ 9 years in practice
▲ Top 1% volume in CA
$2,581 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗22,366
Medicare services
Top 1% in CA for medical physician assistant
3,881
Unique beneficiaries
$52
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~2,485 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photodynamic therapy gel for precancerous skin | 8,800 | $1 | $2 |
| Injection, tildrakizumab, 1 mg | 4,500 | $110 | $141 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14 This procedure involves the removal or destruction of two to fourteen precancerous skin lesions. It is performed to eliminate abnormal skin cells that have the potential to develop into cancer. |
2,975 | $5 | $7 |
| Puraply AM application per square centimeter Application of Puraply AM dressing to the skin. The charge is calculated based on the surface area treated. |
868 | $85 | $109 |
| 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. |
763 | $52 | $95 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1 Removal of a single precancerous skin growth. This procedure destroys abnormal skin cells to prevent them from developing into cancer. |
753 | $35 | $72 |
| Affinity per square centimeter A measurement of affinity per square centimeter. |
651 | $324 | $415 |
| 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. |
480 | $79 | $134 |
| Allergy skin patch test A diagnostic test where small amounts of potential allergens are applied to the skin to identify substances that cause an allergic reaction. |
432 | $3 | $5 |
| Destruction of skin growths (warts/lesions), 1-14 This procedure involves the removal or destruction of one to fourteen skin growths. It is a minor surgical intervention performed on the skin surface. |
320 | $71 | $124 |
| Light application with debridement to destroy precancerous skin growth This procedure involves applying light to the skin along with debridement to destroy precancerous skin growths. |
305 | $195 | $316 |
| Topical aminolevulinic acid HCl 20% solution A topical medication applied to the skin for medical treatment. It is supplied as a single-unit dosage form containing 354 mg of the active ingredient. |
299 | $306 | $392 |
| 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. |
174 | $61 | $120 |
| 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. |
160 | $34 | $60 |
| Skin biopsy, tangential A procedure to remove a sample of the first identified skin growth for laboratory examination. |
149 | $61 | $111 |
| Skin substitute graft application, 25 sq cm or less Application of a skin substitute graft to a wound on the face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, around eyes, genitals, hands, feet, fingers, or toes. The wound area covered is 25.0 square centimeters or less. |
110 | $114 | $170 |
| 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. |
94 | $93 | $177 |
| Destruction of 15 or more precancerous skin growths This procedure involves the removal or destruction of fifteen or more precancerous skin lesions. It is performed to treat abnormal skin cells that have the potential to develop into cancer. |
83 | $114 | $180 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
76 | $1 | $1 |
| Skin substitute graft application, 25 sq cm or less Application of a skin substitute graft to a wound on the trunk, arms, or legs covering 25 square centimeters or less. |
74 | $103 | $166 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
69 | $9 | $15 |
| Simple drainage of skin abscess A minor procedure to drain a localized collection of pus from the skin. The abscess is opened to allow the fluid to escape and promote healing. |
59 | $85 | $138 |
| Punch biopsy of first skin growth A small, circular piece of skin is removed from a skin growth using a circular blade. The sample is then sent to a laboratory for examination. |
42 | $94 | $138 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
39 | $5 | $7 |
| Shaving of skin growth, 1.1-2.0 cm This procedure involves shaving off a skin growth measuring between 1.1 and 2.0 centimeters from the body, arms, or legs. |
22 | $86 | $147 |
| Punch biopsy of additional skin growth A small circular tool is used to remove a sample of an extra skin growth for laboratory examination. |
20 | $44 | $64 |
| Shaving of skin growth, 0.6-1.0 cm A minor procedure to shave off a skin growth on the body, arms, or legs that measures between 0.6 and 1.0 centimeters. |
14 | $76 | $135 |
| Ear tissue biopsy A procedure to remove a small sample of tissue from the ear for laboratory examination. |
13 | $52 | $102 |
| Additional skin growth biopsy Removal of a sample of an additional skin growth for laboratory examination. This code is used for each extra lesion biopsied during the same session. |
11 | $33 | $57 |
| Shaving of skin growth, 0.6-1.0 cm A minor procedure to shave off a skin growth measuring 0.6 to 1.0 cm from the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitals. |
11 | $92 | $140 |
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.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$2,581
Total received (2021-2024)
Avg $645/year across 4 years
Top 19% in CA for medical physician assistant
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
17
Companies
80
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
$2,581 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,413
2023
$822
2022
$233
2021
$113
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$278
UCB, Inc.
$197
Lilly USA, LLC
$195
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$150
PFIZER INC.
$148
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$121
Organogenesis Inc.
$91
LEO Pharma Inc.
$40
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$39
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$36
Amgen Inc.
$36
Biofrontera Inc.
$32
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$26
Cornerstone Medical Associates, Inc.
$23
Top 3 companies account for 47.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2021-2024) ›
ABBVIE INC.
$384
Lilly USA, LLC
$377
PFIZER INC.
$311
UCB, Inc.
$238
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$206
GENZYME CORPORATION
$159
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$159
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$150
Organogenesis Inc.
$148
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$113
Amgen Inc.
$91
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$66
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$60
LEO Pharma Inc.
$40
Biofrontera Inc.
$32
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$23
Cornerstone Medical Associates, Inc.
$23
Top 3 companies account for 41.5% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADBRY · AFFINITY · AKLIEF · AMELUZ · BLU-U · Bimzelx · CIBINQO · Cimzia · DUPIXENT · EUCRISA · ILUMYA · Ilumya · OLUMIANT · ORACEA · Otezla · Puraply · RINVOQ · SKYRIZI · SPEVIGO · Sotyktu · TALTZ · TREMFYA
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Medical physician assistants within 10 mi
27
Per 100K population
9.6
County median income
$93,398
Nearest hospital
ADVENTIST HEALTH SIERRA VISTA
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. Ketelsen is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 19% of CA peers.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Ketelsen experienced with photodynamic therapy gel for precancerous skin?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Ketelsen performed 8,800 photodynamic therapy gel for precancerous skin 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. Ketelsen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Ketelsen received a total of $2,581 from 17 companies across 80 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. Ketelsen's costs compare to other medical physician assistants in San Luis Obispo?
Dr. Ketelsen's average Medicare payment per service is $52. 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. Ketelsen) 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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