Dr. Richard Wikholm, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Wikholm
Dr. Richard Wikholm is an otolaryngology specialist in Santa Maria, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Wikholm performed 3,236 Medicare services across 2,727 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Wikholm received a total of $2,250 from 10 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 35 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in otolaryngology. 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. Wikholm 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
1,170 | $102 | $200 |
| 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. |
671 | $65 | $180 |
| 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. |
559 | $82 | $280 |
| Impacted earwax removal by physician Removal of impacted earwax from one or both ears by a physician on the same day as audiologic testing. |
250 | $43 | $110 |
| Sleep study in sleep lab (age 6+) An overnight test conducted in a sleep laboratory to monitor sleep patterns and bodily functions in patients aged 6 years or older. |
174 | $552 | $1,500 |
| Sleep study with continuous airway pressure, age 6+ A sleep study conducted in a sleep lab that monitors breathing and other body functions while administering continuous airway pressure. This test is performed on patients aged 6 years or older. |
156 | $579 | $1,800 |
| Flexible laryngoscopy A diagnostic exam of the voice box using a flexible endoscope to visualize the larynx. |
74 | $104 | $250 |
| Ear wax removal A procedure to remove impacted ear wax from the ear canal. |
55 | $38 | $110 |
| Middle ear function test A diagnostic test used to evaluate how well the middle ear is functioning. |
42 | $9 | $12 |
| Sleep study with heart rate and breathing monitoring A sleep study that monitors heart rate, breathing, airflow, and physical effort during sleep. |
22 | $71 | $500 |
| 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. |
20 | $130 | $420 |
| Head repositioning exercises for dizziness A series of exercises performed to reposition the head, used to treat dizziness. The procedure is administered on a daily basis. |
16 | $32 | $95 |
| 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. |
16 | $51 | $200 |
| Nasal endoscopy A diagnostic procedure that uses a thin, lighted tube to examine the inside of the nasal passages. |
11 | $175 | $420 |
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.
Geographic Context
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. Wikholm is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 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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