Dr. Katharine Schulz-Costello, D.O.
What this data tells you about Dr. Schulz-Costello
Dr. Katharine Schulz-Costello is a surgery specialist in South Pasadena, CA, with 13 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Schulz-Costello performed 467 Medicare services across 420 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Schulz-Costello received a total of $1,133 from 7 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 12 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. 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. Schulz-Costello 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. |
109 | $102 | $479 |
| 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. |
75 | $71 | $341 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 41 | $189 | $821 |
| 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. |
35 | $44 | $216 |
| 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. |
29 | $150 | $672 |
| Deep underarm lymph node biopsy or removal A procedure to remove or sample deep lymph nodes located in the underarm area for examination. |
26 | $197 | $1,335 |
| Intraoperative lymph node imaging Imaging performed during surgery to visualize lymph nodes. |
26 | $111 | $401 |
| Partial removal of breast | 25 | $443 | $2,026 |
| Intraoperative ultrasound guidance Use of ultrasound imaging during a surgical procedure to help guide the surgeon's actions. |
25 | $50 | $239 |
| 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. |
21 | $116 | $623 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
20 | $29 | $200 |
| Injection of radioactive material for lymph node identification A radioactive substance is injected to help locate lymph nodes during imaging procedures. |
18 | $13 | $635 |
| Simple complete removal of breast Surgical removal of the entire breast tissue. |
17 | $794 | $3,927 |
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
2.1 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. Schulz-Costello is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 22% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Schulz-Costello experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Does Dr. Schulz-Costello receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Schulz-Costello's costs compare to other surgerists in South Pasadena?
What does Data Coverage mean?
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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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