Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Benjamin Potkin, M.D.
Cardiovascular Disease · Santa Cruz, 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. Potkin 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. Potkin
Dr. Benjamin Potkin is a cardiovascular disease specialist in Santa Cruz, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Potkin performed 14,955 Medicare services across 9,167 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Potkin received a total of $50,270 from 32 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 947 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cardiovascular disease. 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. Potkin 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 3% volume in CA
$50,270 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗14,955
Medicare services
Top 3% in CA for cardiovascular disease
9,167
Unique beneficiaries
$114
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~787 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 (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. |
3,700 | $98 | $200 |
| 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. |
3,386 | $11 | $60 |
| Regadenoson injection (Lexiscan) for heart stress test An injection of regadenoson, a medication used to stress the heart during diagnostic testing. |
796 | $43 | $85 |
| Echocardiogram, transthoracic An ultrasound of the heart that uses color to show blood flow, rate, direction, and valve function. |
758 | $168 | $750 |
| 2-day continuous ECG with review and report A two-day continuous electrocardiogram recording that includes a professional review and written report of the results. |
755 | $56 | $365 |
| Continuous ECG monitoring, up to 30 days Continuous heart rhythm monitoring for up to 30 days, including professional review and reporting of the results. |
731 | $21 | $75 |
| 30-day continuous ECG with patient-triggered event transmission and review This procedure involves continuous electrocardiogram monitoring for up to 30 days, including the transmission of patient-triggered events. A healthcare professional reviews the data and provides a report. |
729 | $800 | $1,300 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
593 | $159 | $512 |
| Remote cardiac rhythm monitor evaluation, up to 30 days Review and analysis of data from a remote cardiac rhythm monitoring system over a period of up to 30 days. |
411 | $21 | $100 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in the arm or leg. The test uses sound waves to check blood flow and may include compression and other maneuvers. |
241 | $161 | $497 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the blood vessels in the legs or any surgical grafts present. |
201 | $213 | $609 |
| 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. |
201 | $127 | $279 |
| Nuclear stress test of heart muscle A nuclear medicine imaging test that evaluates blood flow to the heart muscle at rest and during stress using a special camera. |
200 | $407 | $1,134 |
| Technetium Tc-99m sestamibi diagnostic injection A diagnostic injection of technetium Tc-99m sestamibi used for imaging studies. |
199 | $95 | $123 |
| Exercise or drug-induced heart stress test with ECG A heart stress test performed using exercise or medication while monitoring the electrocardiogram under physician supervision and review. |
198 | $55 | $221 |
| 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. |
184 | $76 | $150 |
| Stress echocardiogram with ECG monitoring An ultrasound of the heart performed while monitoring heart rhythm during rest, exercise, or medication-induced stress, followed by a review and report of the findings. |
182 | $212 | $600 |
| Ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the aorta, vena cava, groin vessels, or bypass grafts. It allows for the visualization of these blood vessels and any surgical grafts. |
176 | $83 | $306 |
| Pacemaker programming, dual lead system Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings. |
171 | $62 | $130 |
| Remote monitoring of implantable heart device, up to 30 days Remote evaluation of an implanted heart or blood vessel monitoring system over a period of up to 30 days. |
162 | $20 | $150 |
| Complete ultrasound of retroperitoneum An ultrasound examination of the structures located behind the abdominal cavity. |
136 | $94 | $550 |
| Complete ultrasound of abdomen and pelvis blood flow This procedure uses sound waves to create images of blood flow in the arteries and veins of the abdomen and pelvis. It evaluates the rate and direction of blood movement within these vessels. |
136 | $237 | $779 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It allows healthcare providers to examine the structure and blood flow within these arteries. |
89 | $57 | $242 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in one arm or leg using compression and other maneuvers to assess blood flow and check for blockages. |
80 | $97 | $338 |
| Programming of dual lead implantable defibrillator system Adjustment and testing of the settings for an implanted heart device with two leads to ensure proper function. |
78 | $81 | $173 |
| Programming of multiple lead implantable defibrillator system Adjustment and testing of the settings for an implanted heart device with multiple leads to ensure proper function. |
71 | $84 | $210 |
| 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. |
65 | $46 | $125 |
| 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. |
56 | $98 | $160 |
| Remote pacemaker monitoring, 90 days Remote assessment of a pacemaker system, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless devices, performed up to 90 days apart. |
55 | $24 | $100 |
| Complete ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts A complete ultrasound exam of the aorta, vena cava, groin vessels, or bypass grafts. This imaging test uses sound waves to visualize these blood vessels. |
37 | $152 | $434 |
| Remote evaluation of implantable defibrillator system Remote assessment of a single, dual, or multiple lead implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the previous evaluation. |
36 | $26 | $150 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to create images of the arteries in one leg or any grafts present in that leg. |
36 | $113 | $369 |
| Pacemaker programming, single lead Adjustment and testing of a single-lead pacemaker to ensure it functions correctly. |
28 | $52 | $117 |
| Programming of single lead implantable defibrillator system Adjustment and testing of the settings for a single-lead implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to ensure proper function. |
23 | $53 | $143 |
| 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. |
22 | $136 | $318 |
| 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. |
19 | $127 | $245 |
| Follow-up heart ultrasound An ultrasound of the heart performed to monitor or reassess a previously identified condition or treatment progress. |
14 | $83 | $220 |
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.
9.6% high complexity
20.7% medium
69.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$50,270
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $7,181/year across 7 years
Top 10% in CA for cardiovascular disease
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
32
Companies
947
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
$35,009 (69.6%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$15,261 (30.4%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,351
2023
$2,374
2022
$2,087
2021
$5,272
2020
$7,200
2019
$13,557
2018
$17,429
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novo Nordisk Inc
$365
Boston Scientific Corporation
$314
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$286
Amgen Inc.
$259
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$217
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$180
PFIZER INC.
$166
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$141
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$141
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$109
Abbott Laboratories
$63
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$57
BIOTRONIK INC.
$27
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$24
Top 3 companies account for 41.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$34,769
Amgen Inc.
$2,058
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$1,865
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$1,292
Abbott Laboratories
$1,286
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$1,063
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$959
Boston Scientific Corporation
$858
PFIZER INC.
$683
BIOTRONIK INC.
$671
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$666
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$644
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$608
Novo Nordisk Inc
$591
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$563
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$450
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$182
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$174
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$166
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$141
PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$125
Lundbeck LLC
$95
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$84
Allergan Inc.
$70
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$46
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$41
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$26
Kestra Medical Technology Services, Inc.
$23
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$21
Medtronic, Inc.
$18
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$18
AtriCure, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 77.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCENT · ACCOLADE · AMVIA EDGE · ANDEXXA · ASSURITY · AVEIR · Acticor · Arcalyst · Assure WCD · Assurity Pacemaker · AtriCure Synergy Ablation System · Attain · BELSOMRA · BIOMONITOR · BOSENTAN TABLETS · BRILINTA · BYSTOLIC · CAMZYOS · CONFIRM RX · CRT Leads · CRT-Ds · CardioMEMS HF System · CareLink · Confirm Rx · Connectivity and Remote care · DYNAGEN · ELIQUIS · EMBLEM · EMBLEM MRI S-ICD · ENTRESTO · Edora · Ellipse ICD · FARXIGA · Fortify Assura · GENERAL THERAPIES · JARDIANCE · JOT DX · Kerendia · LATITUDE Communicator Power Supply · LEQVIO · LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor · Letairis · LifeVest · Livalo · MERLIN@HOME · MRI Ready Leads · MULTAQ · Merlin Connectivity and Remote · Micra · MitraClip System · NORTHERA · No Associated Product · OPSUMIT · OPSUMIT MACITENTAN · Optisure Defibrillation ICD Lead · Ozempic · PRADAXA · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · Pacemakers · Quadra Assura CRT Defibrillator · Quartet CRT Lead · Repatha · Rivacor · Rivacor 7 DR-T · Rybelsus · STIOLTO RESPIMAT · UPTRAVI · Unify Assura CRT Defibrillator · VERQUVO · VIGILANT X4 CRT-D · VYNDAQEL · Vascepa · WATCHMAN FLX · Wegovy · XARELTO
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 (70%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in cardiovascular disease and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for cardiovascular disease in CA.
Geographic Context
Cardiologists within 10 mi
85
Per 100K population
32.0
County median income
$109,266
Nearest hospital
DOMINICAN 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. Potkin is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 10% 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. Potkin experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Potkin performed 3,700 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Potkin receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Potkin received a total of $50,270 from 32 companies across 947 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. Potkin's costs compare to other cardiologists in Santa Cruz?
Dr. Potkin's average Medicare payment per service is $114. 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. Potkin) 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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