Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Joseph Aragon, M.D.
Interventional Cardiology · Santa Barbara, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
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. Aragon 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. Aragon
Dr. Joseph Aragon is an interventional cardiology specialist in Santa Barbara, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Aragon performed 1,921 Medicare services across 1,735 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Aragon received a total of $299,368 from 36 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1071 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in interventional cardiology. 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. Aragon 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
▲ 1,921 Medicare services
$299,368 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,921
Medicare services
Bottom 44% in CA for interventional cardiology
1,735
Unique beneficiaries
$131
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~101 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
246 | $11 | $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. |
171 | $10 | $148 |
| 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. |
165 | $104 | $317 |
| 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. |
160 | $70 | $222 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
110 | $96 | $277 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 98 | $179 | $569 |
| Cardiac catheterization | 96 | $192 | $811 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
90 | $65 | $192 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
82 | $142 | $536 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
76 | $148 | $435 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
74 | $145 | $773 |
| Hospital discharge management, 30+ min This service covers the care provided by a physician or qualified healthcare professional on the day a patient is discharged from the hospital. It requires more than 30 minutes of total time spent on the day of discharge. |
64 | $94 | $288 |
| Repair of left upper heart chamber with implant A surgical procedure to repair the left upper chamber of the heart using an implanted device, with review by a radiologist. |
60 | $573 | $2,082 |
| Coronary stent placement A procedure to insert a stent into a coronary artery or its branch to keep it open, using balloon dilation during the process. |
55 | $384 | $1,544 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
54 | $20 | $70 |
| 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. |
48 | $585 | $3,235 |
| EKG interpretation and report A standard electrocardiogram test that records the heart's electrical activity using at least 12 leads. The service includes a professional interpretation of the results and a written report. |
47 | $7 | $23 |
| Coronary angiography A procedure to insert a tube into a coronary artery to capture diagnostic images of the heart's blood vessels. |
41 | $154 | $636 |
| Follow-up ultrasound of heart blood flow, valves and chambers An ultrasound exam that follows up on the heart's blood flow, valves, and chambers. It uses sound waves to create images of the heart's structure and function. |
36 | $6 | $21 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
27 | $102 | $364 |
| Mitral valve repair through skin, initial prosthesis A minimally invasive procedure to repair the mitral valve using a new prosthetic device inserted through the skin. |
24 | $871 | $4,863 |
| 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. |
23 | $120 | $448 |
| Ultrasound of heart blood vessel or graft An ultrasound exam to evaluate blood flow in a heart blood vessel or graft, including a radiologist's review of the initial vessel. |
22 | $74 | $318 |
| Online digital evaluation for established patient, 5-10 minutes This service involves an online digital evaluation and management visit for an established patient. It covers a total time of 5 to 10 minutes over a period of up to 7 days. |
20 | $11 | $41 |
| Intravascular ultrasound of heart vessel, initial An ultrasound procedure used to evaluate a blood vessel within the heart during a diagnostic or treatment procedure. |
18 | $57 | $192 |
| Stent placement and plaque removal in one vessel A procedure to clear plaque and blood clots from a single blood vessel, followed by the insertion of a stent and/or balloon dilation to keep the vessel open. |
14 | $498 | $1,815 |
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.
18.1% high complexity
4.9% medium
77.0% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$299,368
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $42,767/year across 7 years
Top 3% in CA for interventional cardiology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
36
Companies
1,071
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
$178,586 (59.7%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$93,192 (31.1%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$27,590 (9.2%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$40,805
2023
$66,987
2022
$26,366
2021
$19,199
2020
$45,359
2019
$51,439
2018
$49,214
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$17,274
Boston Scientific Corporation
$9,981
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$8,597
Abbott Laboratories
$2,994
ABIOMED
$990
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$417
Medtronic, Inc.
$364
Biosense Webster, Inc.
$113
Philips North America LLC
$75
Top 3 companies account for 87.9% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$91,454
Boston Scientific Corporation
$82,206
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$56,919
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$15,281
Abbott Laboratories
$12,299
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$11,366
Medtronic, Inc.
$7,743
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$5,261
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$5,069
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$4,418
CHIESI USA, INC.
$2,150
ABIOMED
$1,680
Teleflex LLC
$430
Amgen Inc.
$384
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$295
Inari Medical, Inc.
$272
Biosense Webster, Inc.
$259
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$252
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$235
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$189
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$174
iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
$149
Aziyo Biologics, Inc.
$133
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$129
PFIZER INC.
$129
Imperative Care, Inc
$116
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$86
Shockwave Medical, Inc
$82
Philips North America LLC
$75
ACIST MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
$30
Allergan Inc.
$26
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$20
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$19
AtriCure, Inc.
$16
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$16
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$5
Top 3 companies account for 77.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(6321) Azurion 7 B20 DS Adv · (6342) Intrasight Integ · (9148) ICE 3D · (P84) IGT Devices Systems · 3F · AMPLATZER · AMPLATZER AMULET · AMPLATZER PICCOLO · AMPLATZER TALISMAN · ANDEXXA · ATRICURE ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION · AVALUS · AVVIGO Guidance System · AZURE XT DR MRI SURESCAN · Advisa · Asahi Fielder coronary guide wire · Azure · BEVYXXA · BRILINTA · BYSTOLIC · CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder · CLEVIPREX · COMET · COREVALVE EVOLUT R · COROFLOW · COROFLOW UPGRADE KIT · CareLink · Carto 3 System · Circulatory Support · Claria MRI · Cobalt · CoreValve Evolut · Corlanor · Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System · DIAMONDBACK CORONARY · DRAGONFLY OPSTAR · Dragonfly OCT · ECM Patch · EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE (THV) · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Heart Valve · EkoSonic · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · GENERAL ATHERECTOMY · GENERAL STENTS · GENERAL STRUCTURAL HEART · GENERAL THERAPIES · GENERAL VASCULAR INTERVENTION · GENERAL - STRUCTURAL HEART · GENERAL - VASCULAR ACCESS · GENERAL ATHERECTOMY · GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT · GENERAL STENTS · GENERAL STRUCTURAL HEART · GENERAL THERAPIES · GORE CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder · GORE SYNECOR Biomaterial · GRAFTMASTER · GUIDEZILLA · General - Therapies · General - Vascular Access · HawkOne · IN.PACT Admiral · Impella · JETI · KENGREAL · LINQ II · LOTUS EDGE · LifeVest · MANTA · MICRA · MINI TREK · MITRACLIP · MULTAQ · MYCARELINK · Micra · Mitra Clip system · MitraClip System · NC TREK NEO · NUVISION ICE CATHETER · ONPATTRO · OPTIS · Optis Coronary Imaging System · PERCLOSE PROGLIDE · PERCLOSE PROSTYLE · PORTICO · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · PRESSUREWIRE · PRODIGY CATHETER · PULSESELECT · Perclose ProGlide suture mediated closure system · Pouch · RESONATE · RXI CONSUMABLES · Repatha · Resolute · Reveal LINQ · S · SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA · SHOCKWAVE IVL SYSTEM WITH THE SHOCKWAVE C2 CORONARY IVL CATHETER · SYNERGY · Sentinel · Shockwave IVL System with the Shockwave C2 Coronary IVL Catheter · THERAPIES · TYRX · Vascepa · Vascular Lithotripsy · VersaCross Access Solution · VersaCross Large Access Solution · WAINUA · WATCHMAN · WATCHMAN Access System · WATCHMAN FLX · Watchman · XARELTO · XIENCE SKYPOINT · XIENCE V · Xience Sierra Coronary Stent · Xience V coronary stent system · ZIO Patch
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 (60%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in interventional cardiology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 3% for interventional cardiology in CA.
Geographic Context
Interventional cardiologists within 10 mi
4
Per 100K population
0.9
County median income
$95,977
Nearest hospital
SANTA BARBARA COTTAGE 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. Aragon is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 3% 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. Aragon experienced with electrocardiogram (ekg), 12-lead?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Aragon performed 246 electrocardiogram (ekg), 12-lead 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. Aragon receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Aragon received a total of $299,368 from 36 companies across 1,071 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. Aragon's costs compare to other interventional cardiologists in Santa Barbara?
Dr. Aragon's average Medicare payment per service is $131. 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. Aragon) 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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