Dr. Susan Lawton, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Lawton
Dr. Susan Lawton is a family medicine specialist in Santa Barbara, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lawton performed 3,384 Medicare services across 1,384 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lawton received a total of $6,443 from 32 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 274 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. 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. Lawton 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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) | 1,740 | $17 | $27 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
302 | $9 | $15 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
224 | $33 | $39 |
| 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. |
194 | $71 | $78 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
187 | $138 | $176 |
| Chronic care management, first 20 min/month This service covers the first 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional each calendar month to manage chronic conditions. |
120 | $40 | $70 |
| 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. |
102 | $10 | $20 |
| Drug test with direct observation A drug screening test performed under direct observation to ensure the sample is provided correctly. This method is used to verify the integrity of the specimen collection process. |
64 | $6 | $6 |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20) An intramuscular injection of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. It is used to protect against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. |
62 | $280 | $297 |
| 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. |
58 | $11 | $25 |
| Quadrivalent influenza vaccine, preservative-free A flu shot containing four strains of the influenza virus, formulated without preservatives, administered in a 0.5 ml dose. |
57 | $22 | $25 |
| Adm sarscv2 bvl 50mcg/.5ml a | 54 | $39 | $40 |
| SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, 30 mcg/0.3 mL Administration of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccine containing 30 micrograms of antigen in a 0.3 milliliter dose. |
47 | $39 | $40 |
| Urinalysis, manual A manual laboratory examination of a urine sample to check for various substances and cells. |
46 | $3 | $9 |
| Hepatitis B vaccine, adult, CPG-adjuvanted An adult dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine administered via intramuscular injection. It uses a CPG-adjuvanted formulation and follows a 2-dose or 4-dose schedule. |
34 | $147 | $157 |
| Hepatitis B vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of the hepatitis B vaccine to provide immunization against the hepatitis B virus. |
31 | $23 | $24 |
| Annual wellness visit, initial visit A yearly appointment to review your health and create a personalized prevention plan. This initial visit focuses on preventive care and health assessment. |
20 | $170 | $174 |
| Toenail/fingernail removal, 6+ nails Surgical removal of six or more fingernails or toenails. This procedure involves the excision of multiple nails during a single session. |
15 | $33 | $67 |
| COVID-19 amplified DNA/RNA probe detection A laboratory test that uses amplified DNA or RNA probes to detect the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) antigen. |
15 | $50 | $70 |
| Initial preventive physical examination, new Medicare beneficiary A comprehensive preventive health visit for new Medicare beneficiaries during their first 12 months of enrollment. The service is conducted as a face-to-face visit and is limited to preventive care. |
12 | $175 | $237 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians. Total industry engagement is in the top 6% for family medicine in CA.
Geographic Context
3.7 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. Lawton is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 6% 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
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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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