Dr. Paul Brion, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Brion
Dr. Paul Brion is a rheumatology specialist in Vista, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Brion performed 102,587 Medicare services across 1,360 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Brion received a total of $21,973 from 34 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 168 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Brion 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certolizumab injection (Cimzia) An injection of certolizumab pegol administered under the direct supervision of a physician. |
75,601 | $4 | $14 |
| Romosozumab injection (Evenity) for osteoporosis | 13,020 | $8 | $11 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 9,480 | $18 | $49 |
| 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. |
1,166 | $100 | $190 |
| Extended-release steroid injection (Zilretta) An injection of triamcinolone acetonide using a preservative-free, extended-release microsphere formulation. The dosage is measured in milligrams. |
1,152 | $13 | $26 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
799 | $1 | $8 |
| Non-hormonal chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy medication via injection into the skin or muscle tissue. |
352 | $67 | $189 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
200 | $58 | $200 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 163 | $179 | $440 |
| Orthovisc intra-articular injection An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative into a joint space to provide lubrication and cushioning. |
106 | $98 | $300 |
| 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. |
97 | $73 | $120 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
87 | $117 | $400 |
| 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. |
82 | $57 | $400 |
| 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. |
79 | $12 | $45 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
64 | $69 | $70 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
61 | $34 | $35 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
30 | $42 | $140 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
19 | $47 | $120 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
15 | $9 | $25 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
14 | $49 | $150 |
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 ›
The majority of payments (80%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in rheumatology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
2.9 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. Brion is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 16% of CA peers, 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
Is Dr. Brion experienced with certolizumab injection (cimzia)?
Does Dr. Brion receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Brion's costs compare to other rheumatologists in Vista?
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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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