Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Rosa Choi, M.D.

Surgery · Santa Barbara, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
317 W PUEBLO ST, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
8056811761
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1376650713 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. Choi 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. Choi? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Choi

Dr. Rosa Choi is a surgery specialist in Santa Barbara, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Choi performed 580 Medicare services across 510 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Choi received a total of $268 from 8 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 10 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. 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. Choi 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 17% volume in CA $268 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
580
Medicare services
Top 17% in CA for surgery
510
Unique beneficiaries
$127
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~31 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
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.
209 $43 $155
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.
59 $99 $353
Intraoperative lymph node imaging
Imaging performed during surgery to visualize lymph nodes.
40 $108 $415
X-ray of surgical specimen 40 $13 $43
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.
40 $91 $349
Partial removal of breast 37 $517 $1,645
Deep underarm lymph node biopsy or removal
A procedure to remove or sample deep lymph nodes located in the underarm area for examination.
33 $184 $1,146
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.
33 $126 $453
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.
27 $74 $249
Breast lesion localization with ultrasound guidance
A device is placed in the breast to mark a specific growth using ultrasound guidance. This procedure helps identify the exact location of the lesion for further treatment or removal.
21 $34 $1,365
Simple complete removal of breast
Surgical removal of the entire breast tissue.
21 $810 $2,531
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.
20 $62 $207
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 ↗
$268
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $45/year across 6 years
Bottom 25% in CA for surgery
8
Companies
10
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
$251 (93.7%)
Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$17 (6.3%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$23
2023
$23
2022
$91
2021
$17
2019
$18
2018
$96

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$23
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Lilly USA, LLC
$91
Ethicon US, LLC
$49
Faxitron Bioptics LLC
$27
Medtronic, Inc.
$23
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$23
Genentech USA, Inc.
$20
Celgene Corporation
$18
Welch Allyn
$17
Top 3 companies account for 62.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ECHELON FLEX Stapler · EXPAREL · Flexitouch Plus · None · Perjeta · SIGNIA · SURGICEL Family of Absorbable Hemostats · VERZENIO
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 (94%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for a surgery specialist in Santa Barbara?
Compare surgerists in the Santa Barbara area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Surgerists within 10 mi
19
Per 100K population
4.3
County median income
$95,977
Nearest hospital
SANTA BARBARA COTTAGE HOSPITAL
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. Choi is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 17% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Choi experienced with office visit, established patient (10-19 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Choi performed 209 office visit, established patient (10-19 min) 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. Choi receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Choi received a total of $268 from 8 companies across 10 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. Choi's costs compare to other surgerists in Santa Barbara?
Dr. Choi's average Medicare payment per service is $127. 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. Choi) 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 →