Dr. Jochen Schaefer, M.D
What this data tells you about Dr. Schaefer
Dr. Jochen Schaefer is a dermatopathology physician in Santa Monica, CA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Schaefer performed 27,408 Medicare services across 14,011 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Schaefer received a total of $353 from 3 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 4 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in dermatopathology (pathology) 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. Schaefer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special stain test for organisms A laboratory test using special stains on tissue slides to identify microorganisms. The process includes the technical preparation of the slides and a professional interpretation of the results. |
8,243 | $90 | $195 |
| Tissue pathology examination, moderate complexity A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This intermediate complexity procedure involves specialized techniques to identify abnormalities in the tissue. |
5,959 | $56 | $348 |
| Tissue preparation to remove calcium A laboratory procedure that removes calcium from a tissue sample to prepare it for microscopic examination. |
4,628 | $16 | $63 |
| Infectious disease DNA/RNA test A laboratory test that uses a specific technique to detect the genetic material of an organism. This method amplifies the target DNA or RNA to identify the presence of the organism. |
4,618 | $34 | $55 |
| Special tissue stain and interpretation A laboratory test using special stains to examine tissue samples, including the pathologist's review and written report of the findings. |
1,550 | $66 | $136 |
| Yeast/candida DNA test A laboratory test that uses an amplified probe technique to detect the presence of Candida species, a type of yeast, in a patient sample. |
1,158 | $34 | $60 |
| Tissue staining for diagnosis, additional An extra laboratory procedure to apply special stains to tissue slides for detailed examination. |
195 | $68 | $275 |
| Tissue staining for diagnosis, initial A laboratory test where special stains are applied to tissue slides to help examine the cells and identify specific characteristics. |
193 | $79 | $340 |
| VRE nucleic acid detection test A laboratory test that uses amplified probe techniques to detect vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) DNA in a patient sample. |
159 | $34 | $105 |
| MRSA nucleic acid detection test A laboratory test that uses amplified probe techniques to detect the genetic material of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria. |
159 | $34 | $105 |
| Group B Strep DNA test A laboratory test that uses DNA amplification to detect the presence of Group B Streptococcus bacteria. |
159 | $34 | $105 |
| Moderately high complexity pathology tissue examination A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to analyze cellular details. This specific level of complexity involves a moderate to high degree of technical skill and interpretation. |
108 | $235 | $598 |
| Cell examination with selective cellular enhancement A laboratory test that examines cells from a specimen using a technique to selectively enhance specific cellular features for detailed analysis. |
103 | $52 | $210 |
| Strep A nucleic acid amplification test A laboratory test that uses nucleic acid amplification to detect the presence of Group A Streptococcus bacteria. This method identifies the genetic material of the bacteria to determine if an infection is present. |
56 | $33 | $60 |
| Staphylococcus aureus DNA test A laboratory test that uses DNA amplification to detect the presence of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in a sample. |
51 | $34 | $60 |
| Crystal identification from tissue or body fluid Laboratory analysis to identify crystals found in tissue samples or body fluids. |
42 | $7 | $30 |
| Pathology tissue examination, moderate complexity A laboratory test where a pathologist examines tissue samples under a microscope to identify abnormalities. This specific level indicates a moderate degree of complexity in the analysis. |
27 | $34 | $250 |
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
1.1 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. Schaefer is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 16% of CA peers, with 17 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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