Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Sara Taroumian, M.D.
Rheumatology · Santa Barbara, 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. Taroumian 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. Taroumian
Dr. Sara Taroumian is a rheumatology specialist in Santa Barbara, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Taroumian performed 29,184 Medicare services across 1,763 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Taroumian received a total of $14,353 from 34 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 878 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. 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. Taroumian 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.
✓ 18 years in practice
▲ Top 15% volume in CA
$14,353 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗29,184
Medicare services
Top 15% in CA for rheumatology
1,763
Unique beneficiaries
$22
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~1,621 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 26,220 | $18 | $50 |
| 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. |
782 | $96 | $353 |
| 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. |
669 | $11 | $69 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
290 | $1 | $3 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) A test that uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone mineral density in the hip, pelvis, and spine. It helps assess bone strength and risk of fractures. |
215 | $43 | $239 |
| 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. |
134 | $55 | $249 |
| Zoledronic acid injection, 1 mg An injection of zoledronic acid administered at a dose of 1 mg. |
130 | $5 | $26 |
| 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. |
114 | $136 | $491 |
| Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period. |
94 | $25 | $114 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
75 | $52 | $199 |
| 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. |
67 | $124 | $453 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
55 | $100 | $276 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
55 | $118 | $487 |
| Intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance Administration of an additional new medication or substance directly into a vein. |
41 | $14 | $65 |
| Normal saline infusion, 250 cc Administration of 250 cubic centimeters of normal saline solution into a vein. This procedure involves the intravenous delivery of a sterile saltwater fluid. |
40 | $0 | $2 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
36 | $9 | $27 |
| Methylprednisolone injection, up to 125 mg An injection of methylprednisolone sodium succinate, a corticosteroid medication, with a dosage of up to 125 mg. |
32 | $4 | $15 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
25 | $5 | $15 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) of forearm, finger, hand, or foot A DEXA scan measures bone mineral density in the forearm, finger, hand, or foot. This test helps assess bone strength and risk of fracture. |
23 | $34 | $100 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
19 | $33 | $69 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
18 | $54 | $215 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
18 | $72 | $164 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 17 | $165 | $597 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
15 | $46 | $148 |
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.
0.6% high complexity
94.7% medium
4.8% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$14,353
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,050/year across 7 years
Top 22% in CA for rheumatology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
34
Companies
878
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
$14,273 (99.4%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$80 (0.6%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,688
2023
$1,079
2022
$776
2021
$875
2020
$899
2019
$5,134
2018
$3,903
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$386
ABBVIE INC.
$364
Amgen Inc.
$304
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$204
Radius Health, Inc.
$187
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$142
PFIZER INC.
$39
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$24
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$22
Lilly USA, LLC
$15
Top 3 companies account for 62.5% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Amgen Inc.
$3,103
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$2,489
PFIZER INC.
$1,042
AbbVie, Inc.
$898
AbbVie Inc.
$684
Genentech USA, Inc.
$643
Lilly USA, LLC
$603
ABBVIE INC.
$600
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$536
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$425
Radius Health, Inc.
$353
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$339
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$319
GENZYME CORPORATION
$290
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$286
UCB, Inc.
$269
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$262
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$201
Celgene Corporation
$182
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$142
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$110
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$103
Mallinckrodt LLC
$78
Horizon Pharma plc
$64
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$62
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$52
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$50
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$44
MEDAC PHARMA, INC.
$25
Bioventus LLC
$25
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$24
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$18
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
$18
MEDEXUS PHARMA, INC.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 46.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · Adempas · BENLYSTA · COSENTYX · Cimzia · DUZALLO · Durolane · EUFLEXXA · EVENITY · Enbrel · FORTEO · HUMIRA · Humira · ILARIS · INFLECTRA · JARDIANCE · KEVZARA · KRYSTEXXA · Kerendia · LUPKYNIS · LYRICA · MONOVISC · OFEV · ORENCIA · ORTHOVISC · Otezla · PENNSAID · Parsabiv · Prolia · RAYOS · RINVOQ · Rasuvo · Rinvoq · Rituxan · SAPHNELO · SIMPONI · SIMPONI ARIA · SKYRIZI · SOLIRIS · STELARA · Strensiq · TALTZ · TAVNEOS · TREMFYA · Tymlos · Uloric · XELJANZ
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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Rheumatologists within 10 mi
14
Per 100K population
3.2
County median income
$95,977
Nearest hospital
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH FACILITY
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. Taroumian is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 15% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 18 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. Taroumian experienced with denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Taroumian performed 26,220 denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva) 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. Taroumian receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Taroumian received a total of $14,353 from 34 companies across 878 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. Taroumian's costs compare to other rheumatologists in Santa Barbara?
Dr. Taroumian's average Medicare payment per service is $22. 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. Taroumian) 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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