Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Scott Tobis, M.D.
Urology Physician · 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. Tobis 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. Tobis
Dr. Scott Tobis is an urology physician in Santa Barbara, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Tobis performed 7,352 Medicare services across 2,015 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Tobis received a total of $5,920 from 45 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 132 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in urology physician. 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. Tobis 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 14% volume in CA
$5,920 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗7,352
Medicare services
Top 14% in CA for urology physician
2,015
Unique beneficiaries
$37
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~408 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botox injection, per unit An injection of onabotulinumtoxinA, a medication used to temporarily relax muscles or reduce gland activity. The dose is measured in units, with this code representing a single unit administered. |
4,700 | $5 | $14 |
| 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. |
809 | $66 | $249 |
| Bladder ultrasound after voiding An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder. |
357 | $9 | $50 |
| Automated urinalysis An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine. |
271 | $2 | $7 |
| Cystourethroscopy A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract. |
155 | $197 | $565 |
| Leuprolide acetate (for depot suspension), 7.5 mg | 136 | $138 | $709 |
| Bladder irrigation and/or instillation This procedure involves flushing the bladder with fluid to clear it or introducing medication directly into the bladder. |
125 | $33 | $260 |
| Simple change of bladder tube | 119 | $80 | $303 |
| 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. |
119 | $76 | $349 |
| 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. |
97 | $102 | $353 |
| 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. |
49 | $129 | $453 |
| Transrectal ultrasound of the pelvis An ultrasound imaging procedure where a probe is inserted into the rectum to visualize pelvic structures. |
46 | $123 | $406 |
| Prostate gland biopsy A procedure to remove small samples of tissue from the prostate gland for laboratory examination. |
45 | $203 | $623 |
| 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. |
44 | $107 | $357 |
| Cystoscopy with chemical ablation of bladder A procedure where a camera is used to examine the bladder and a chemical agent is applied to destroy abnormal tissue. |
33 | $333 | $1,142 |
| Surgical removal of prostate and lymph nodes This procedure involves the surgical removal of the prostate gland and surrounding lymph nodes using an endoscope. |
30 | $814 | $4,699 |
| 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. |
28 | $63 | $189 |
| Suture suspension of urethra to control leakage using an endoscope A surgical procedure that uses an endoscope to place sutures that suspend the urethra in order to control urinary leakage. |
25 | $304 | $2,392 |
| 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. |
24 | $94 | $1,702 |
| Subcutaneous or intramuscular chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering anti-cancer hormonal medication through an injection into the tissue under the skin or into a muscle. |
24 | $30 | $115 |
| Waterjet prostate destruction via urethra A procedure that uses a high-pressure water jet to destroy prostate tissue, accessed through the urethra. |
22 | $605 | $2,494 |
| Electronic assessment of bladder emptying A test that uses electronic monitoring to evaluate how well the bladder empties urine. |
18 | $6 | $215 |
| Transurethral prostate removal with electrocautery This procedure involves removing the prostate gland through the urethra using an endoscope and an electrocautery knife to control bleeding. |
17 | $550 | $2,318 |
| Laparoscopic pelvic lymph node removal and abdominal biopsy A minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove lymph nodes from both sides of the pelvis and obtain a tissue sample from abdominal lymph nodes using an endoscope. |
16 | $332 | $2,940 |
| 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. |
16 | $19 | $294 |
| 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. |
16 | $20 | $69 |
| Partial prostate removal (suprapubic) Surgical removal of part of the prostate gland through an incision in the lower abdomen. |
11 | $654 | $2,761 |
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.
0.8% high complexity
70.8% medium
28.4% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$5,920
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $846/year across 7 years
Top 30% in CA for urology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
45
Companies
132
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
$5,131 (86.7%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$790 (13.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$937
2023
$1,201
2022
$531
2021
$94
2020
$1,203
2019
$806
2018
$1,147
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medtronic, Inc.
$173
Teleflex LLC
$165
Boston Scientific Corporation
$149
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$146
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$122
Edap Technomed Inc
$78
Ambu Inc.
$62
IMMUNITYBIO, INC.
$25
Tolmar, Inc.
$17
Top 3 companies account for 52.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$730
Teleflex LLC
$477
Boston Scientific Corporation
$454
BIOTISSUE HOLDINGS, INC.
$317
EDAP TECHNOMED INC
$310
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$310
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$267
Photocure Inc
$251
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$204
PFIZER INC.
$191
AbbVie, Inc.
$175
NeoTract Inc.
$175
Palette Life Sciences, Inc.
$175
Medtronic, Inc.
$173
Foundation Medicine, Inc.
$165
Coloplast Corp
$158
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$146
Olympus America Inc.
$109
Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$106
Augmenix, Inc.
$105
TOLMAR Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$91
Edap Technomed Inc
$78
AbbVie Inc.
$73
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$64
Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC
$63
Ambu Inc.
$62
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$60
Avadel Specialty Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$59
Mission Pharmacal Company
$53
Ethicon US, LLC
$36
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$25
IMMUNITYBIO, INC.
$25
Allergan Inc.
$24
Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$23
UroViu Corporation
$21
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$21
DENTSPLY IH Inc.
$20
C. R. Bard, Inc. & Subsidiaries
$18
TherapeuticsMD, Inc.
$17
Amgen Inc.
$17
Tolmar, Inc.
$17
RGH Enterprises, Inc.
$16
Mallinckrodt LLC
$14
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$13
Cook Medical LLC
$11
Top 3 companies account for 28.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADSTILADRIN · AMS · ANKTIVA · AQUABEAM ROBOTIC SYSTEM · AVEED · AquaBeam Robotic System · BOTOX · BOTOX THERAPEUTIC · CAPIO · CERTUS 140 MICROWAVE ABLATION SYSTEM · CYSVIEW · Cook · Cysview · Da Vinci Surgical System · ELIGARD · EVICEL Fibrin Sealant (Human) · Erleada · FIRMAGON · FOUNDATIONONE · GENERAL BPH · Glydo · IMVEXXY · INTRAROSA · LITHOVUE · LUPRON DEPOT · LoFric · Lupron · Lupron Depot · MYRBETRIQ · NANOKNIFE · NEOX · NOCDURNA · Noctiva · OFIRMEV · ORGOVYX · Olympus Laser Devices · PREMARIN · PROVENGE · PVC · PYLARIFY · Prolia · SIGNIA · ShockPulse - SE · SpaceOAR · SpaceOAR VUE System - 10mL · SpeediCath · TOVIAZ · UPSYLON · UROLIFT · Uribel · Uro-G Flexible Cystoscope · UroLift · UroLift System · XIAFLEX · 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 →
Most payments (87%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Urology physicians within 10 mi
13
Per 100K population
2.9
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. Tobis is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 14% 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. Tobis experienced with botox injection, per unit?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Tobis performed 4,700 botox injection, per unit 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. Tobis receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Tobis received a total of $5,920 from 45 companies across 132 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. Tobis's costs compare to other urology physicians in Santa Barbara?
Dr. Tobis's average Medicare payment per service is $37. 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. Tobis) 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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