Medicare Enrolled

Dr. David Butler, M.D.

Optician · Santa Monica, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1301 20TH ST STE 300, Santa Monica, CA 90404
3108297792
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1952345811 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Butler 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. Butler

Dr. David Butler is an optician specialist in Santa Monica, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Butler performed 1,003 Medicare services across 832 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Butler received a total of $2,361 from 28 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 88 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Butler 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 ▲ 1,003 Medicare services $2,361 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,003
Medicare services
Bottom 47% in CA for optician
832
Unique beneficiaries
$96
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~53 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.
339 $107 $619
Ear wax removal
A procedure to remove impacted ear wax from the ear canal.
141 $40 $232
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 $70 $439
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.
75 $133 $801
Ear wax removal by washing
This procedure involves the removal of impacted ear wax using a washing technique.
70 $17 $107
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.
68 $155 $864
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.
56 $93 $542
Laryngoscopy, diagnostic
A procedure to examine the voice box using a thin, lighted tube called an endoscope.
44 $226 $1,247
Nasal endoscopy
A diagnostic procedure that uses a thin, lighted tube to examine the inside of the nasal passages.
22 $169 $970
Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes
A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes.
22 $76 $439
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.
21 $37 $277
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 11 $170 $1,055
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.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$2,361
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $337/year across 7 years
Top 35% in CA for optician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
28
Companies
88
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
$2,361 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$335
2023
$488
2022
$420
2021
$206
2020
$202
2019
$521
2018
$190

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Optinose US, Inc.
$169
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$73
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$33
Kerecis Limited
$31
GENZYME CORPORATION
$29
Top 3 companies account for 81.9% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Acclarent, Inc
$331
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$281
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$278
Optinose US, Inc.
$240
OptiNose US, Inc.
$192
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$176
Stryker Corporation
$168
GENZYME CORPORATION
$108
Checkpoint Surgical, Inc
$54
Medtronic, Inc.
$53
ACELL, INC.
$52
Intersect ENT, Inc.
$48
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$45
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$37
Kerecis Limited
$31
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$31
Merz North America, Inc.
$31
ALK-Abello, Inc
$29
AERIN MEDICAL INC.
$22
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$20
Eyevance Pharmaceuticals LLC
$20
Entellus Medical, Inc.
$19
Ethicon US, LLC
$18
Allergan, Inc.
$18
Cook Medical LLC
$16
GE HealthCare
$15
Glenmark Therapeutics Inc.
$14
KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America
$13
Top 3 companies account for 37.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
0 · 14CM · 3MM · ACCLARENT AERA EUSTACHIAN TUBE BALLOON DILATION SYSTEM · Acclarent ENT Navigation System · COBLATOR II · Checkpoint Stimulators · Cook Medical Biodesign · DUPIXENT · ENT Sinus · ENTELLUS - FIAGON SINUS NAVIGATION SYSTEM · ENTELLUS - XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM · GRAFIX PL · HOPKINS · Integra · Kerecis Omega3 SurgiClose · NUCALA · Otiprio · PROPEL · Ryaltris · SINUVA · STRAVIX · Sinuva · Surgicel Powder · TELESCOPE · TULA System · Tobradex ST · TruDi NAV Cable · TruDi Navigation System · VIVAER STYLUS · XEOMIN · XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM · Xeomin · Xhance
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for an optician specialist in Santa Monica?
Compare opticians in the Santa Monica area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse opticians nearby

Geographic Context

Opticians within 10 mi
1,492
Per 100K population
15.1
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
SANTA MONICA - UCLA MED CTR & ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL
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. Butler is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Butler experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Butler performed 339 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. Butler receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Butler received a total of $2,361 from 28 companies across 88 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. Butler's costs compare to other opticians in Santa Monica?
Dr. Butler's average Medicare payment per service is $96. 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. Butler) 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 →
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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →