Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Melissa Cohen, M.D.
Medical Oncology · Simi Valley, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Mixed engagement
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. Cohen 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 →
Are you Dr. Cohen?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Cohen
Dr. Melissa Cohen is a medical oncology specialist in Simi Valley, CA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cohen performed 7,594 Medicare services across 1,250 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cohen received a total of $2,581 from 15 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 45 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in medical oncology. Payments are distributed across multiple categories and often reflect legitimate professional engagement with the medical industry. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Cohen 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.
✓ 17 years in practice
▲ Top 21% volume in CA
$2,581 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗7,594
Medicare services
Top 21% in CA for medical oncology
1,250
Unique beneficiaries
$26
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~447 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 3,900 | $18 | $83 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
574 | $0 | $5 |
| Anti-nausea injection (Aloxi/palonosetron) | 511 | $1 | $95 |
| 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. |
482 | $101 | $858 |
| 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. |
345 | $68 | $508 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
338 | $8 | $58 |
| Normal saline infusion, 250 cc Administration of 250 cubic centimeters of normal saline solution into a vein. This procedure involves the intravenous delivery of a sterile saltwater fluid. |
256 | $1 | $10 |
| Intravenous injection of additional new drug or substance Administration of an additional new medication or substance directly into a vein. |
194 | $14 | $245 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
140 | $118 | $998 |
| 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. |
117 | $12 | $124 |
| Zoledronic acid injection, 1 mg An injection of zoledronic acid administered at a dose of 1 mg. |
113 | $7 | $487 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
91 | $55 | $365 |
| Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period. |
67 | $25 | $550 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
60 | $8 | $25 |
| Diphenhydramine injection, up to 50 mg An injection of diphenhydramine hydrochloride, an antihistamine medication, administered in a dose of up to 50 milligrams. |
46 | $1 | $10 |
| Additional hour of intravenous infusion This code represents each additional hour of intravenous infusion beyond the initial hour for therapy, prevention, or diagnosis. |
42 | $17 | $150 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service. |
40 | $67 | $452 |
| Additional sequential IV infusion, 1 hour or less This code represents an additional intravenous infusion administered sequentially to a primary infusion. It covers the administration time of one hour or less. |
36 | $27 | $475 |
| Normal saline infusion, 500 ml Administration of sterile normal saline solution through an intravenous line. This procedure involves the infusion of a 500 ml unit of the solution. |
35 | $1 | $15 |
| Intravenous infusion of new drug or substance, 1 hour or less This procedure involves administering a new medication or substance directly into a vein through an existing access site. The infusion is completed within one hour or less. |
33 | $60 | $620 |
| Irrigation of implanted venous access device This procedure involves flushing an implanted venous access device to clear blockages or maintain patency. It ensures the device remains functional for delivering medications or fluids. |
30 | $23 | $170 |
| Venipuncture for blood collection A procedure to draw blood from a vein for medical testing or analysis. |
30 | $66 | $500 |
| 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. |
24 | $127 | $960 |
| 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. |
23 | $138 | $1,085 |
| 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. |
23 | $98 | $523 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
22 | $110 | $890 |
| Normal saline infusion, 1000 cc Administration of 1000 cc of normal saline solution into a vein. This procedure involves the intravenous delivery of a sterile saltwater solution. |
22 | $2 | $25 |
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.
8.6% high complexity
72.7% medium
18.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$2,581
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $369/year across 7 years
Bottom 43% in CA for medical oncology
15
Companies
45
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.
Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$1,729 (67.0%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$550 (21.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$301 (11.7%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,099
2023
$586
2022
$366
2021
$317
2020
$116
2019
$85
2018
$13
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$897
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$53
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$32
ABBVIE INC.
$26
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$24
Incyte Corporation
$23
Genmab U.S., Inc.
$23
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$21
Top 3 companies account for 89.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,562
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$191
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$178
NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION
$167
Covidien LP
$104
PFIZER INC.
$77
Foundation Medicine, Inc.
$59
Genmab U.S., Inc.
$47
TESARO, Inc.
$46
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$32
ABBVIE INC.
$26
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$24
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$24
Incyte Corporation
$23
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$21
Top 3 companies account for 74.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
EPKINLY · Enhertu · FOUNDATIONONE · IBRANCE · KEYTRUDA · KISQALI · LORBRENA · OPDIVO · PEMAZYRE · Padcev · TALZENNA · Tivdak · ZEJULA · superDimension
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 →
Payments are distributed across multiple categories with no single dominant type.
Geographic Context
Medical oncologists within 10 mi
18
Per 100K population
2.1
County median income
$107,327
Nearest hospital
ADVENTIST HEALTH SIMI VALLEY
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. Cohen is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 21% in CA), with mixed engagement industry engagement, 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
Is Dr. Cohen experienced with denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cohen performed 3,900 denosumab injection (prolia/xgeva) 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. Cohen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Cohen received a total of $2,581 from 15 companies across 45 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. Cohen's costs compare to other medical oncologists in Simi Valley?
Dr. Cohen's average Medicare payment per service is $26. 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. Cohen) 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 →
Explore related providers
Same specialty & city
Medical Oncologists in Simi Valley
Browse medical oncologists in Simi Valley ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Medical Oncologists in CA
Medical oncologists ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Medical Oncologists in CA
Which CA medical oncologists receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
By company
Daiichi Sankyo Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
By company
Astellas Pharma US Inc Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Astellas Pharma US Inc.
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