Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Paul Helfgott, M.D.
Neurology · Whittier, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-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. Helfgott 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. Helfgott
Dr. Paul Helfgott is a neurology specialist in Whittier, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Helfgott performed 849 Medicare services across 670 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Helfgott received a total of $5,950 from 45 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 262 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurology. 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. Helfgott 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 34% volume in CA
$5,950 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗849
Medicare services
Top 34% in CA for neurology
670
Unique beneficiaries
$68
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
168 | $65 | $83 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in the arm or leg. The test uses sound waves to check blood flow and may include compression and other maneuvers. |
150 | $25 | $35 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
104 | $143 | $196 |
| 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. |
96 | $95 | $141 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
64 | $28 | $41 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries A non-invasive imaging test that uses sound waves to examine the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It evaluates blood flow and checks for blockages or other vascular issues. |
56 | $17 | $23 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the blood vessels in the legs or any surgical grafts present. |
55 | $30 | $40 |
| 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. |
41 | $97 | $123 |
| 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. |
33 | $135 | $183 |
| Awake and drowsy EEG A test that records electrical activity in the brain while the patient is awake and drowsy. |
28 | $47 | $61 |
| Same-day hospital admission and discharge, high complexity Initial hospital care for a patient admitted and discharged on the same day, involving a high level of medical decision making. This service requires at least 85 minutes of time spent on the day of the visit. |
22 | $162 | $223 |
| 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. |
20 | $61 | $100 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It allows healthcare providers to examine the structure and blood flow within these arteries. |
12 | $10 | $14 |
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 ↗$5,950
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $992/year across 6 years
Top 30% in CA for neurology
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
45
Companies
262
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
$5,950 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,816
2023
$1,696
2022
$977
2021
$354
2020
$22
2019
$84
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$441
UCB, Inc.
$409
ABBVIE INC.
$223
Lundbeck LLC
$204
ARGENX US, INC.
$174
MDD US Operations, LLC
$170
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$168
Eisai Inc.
$154
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$136
PFIZER INC.
$99
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$81
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$77
Celgene Corporation
$71
Biogen, Inc.
$46
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$44
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$43
Lilly USA, LLC
$40
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$39
TG Therapeutics, Inc.
$39
MITSUBISHI TANABE PHARMA AMERICA, INC.
$30
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$27
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$27
Abbott Laboratories
$24
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$22
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$14
CATALYST PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 38.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2019-2024) ›
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$979
ABBVIE INC.
$575
UCB, Inc.
$528
Lundbeck LLC
$378
ARGENX US, INC.
$318
Lilly USA, LLC
$265
PFIZER INC.
$218
Biogen, Inc.
$210
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
$208
MDD US Operations, LLC
$201
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$194
Celgene Corporation
$189
Eisai Inc.
$173
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$150
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc
$117
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$116
GENZYME CORPORATION
$106
Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC
$88
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$86
MITSUBISHI TANABE PHARMA AMERICA, INC.
$62
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$57
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$53
Abbott Laboratories
$50
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$49
AbbVie Inc.
$46
Kyowa Kirin, Inc.
$44
Harmony Biosciences LLC
$43
Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.
$40
TG Therapeutics, Inc.
$39
Microtransponder, Inc.
$37
AQUESTIVE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
$37
Corium, LLC
$29
Averitas Pharma Inc.
$27
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$27
Octapharma USA, Inc.
$23
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$22
Allergan, Inc.
$22
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc
$22
Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$21
EMD Serono, Inc.
$21
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$19
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$17
Neurelis, Inc.
$16
Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$14
CATALYST PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 35.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · AIMOVIG · AMYVID · APTIOM · ARZERRA · AUBAGIO · AUSTEDO · AVONEX · Adlarity · Austedo XR · BRIUMVI · Briviact · COMIRNATY · DUOPA · Dysport · EMGALITY · ETERNA · EXSERVAN · FIRDAPSE · Fintepla · GOCOVRI · Gocovri · INBRIJA · INFINITY · INGREZZA · INSPIRE · KESIMPTA · KISUNLA · Leqembi · Mavenclad · NUPLAZID · NURTEC ODT · Nayzilam · Nourianz · OCTAGAM IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HUMAN) · ONPATTRO · PANZYGA · PONVORY · Ponvory · QULIPTA · QUTENZA · RADICAVA · REXULTI · RYTARY · Rebif · Rystiggo · SOLIRIS · SYMPAZAN · TYSABRI · UBRELVY · ULTOMIRIS · VALTOCO · VNS THERAPY SENTIVA MODEL 1000 GENERATOR · VNS Therapy SenTiva Model 1000 Generator · VUMERITY · VYALEV · VYEPTI · VYVGART · VYVGART HYTRULO · WAKIX · ZEPOSIA · ZTLido
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.
Geographic Context
Neurologists within 10 mi
634
Per 100K population
6.4
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
PIH HEALTH HOSPITAL-WHITTIER
2.5 mi
2.5 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. Helfgott is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Helfgott experienced with hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Helfgott performed 168 hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity 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. Helfgott receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Helfgott received a total of $5,950 from 45 companies across 262 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. Helfgott's costs compare to other neurologists in Whittier?
Dr. Helfgott's average Medicare payment per service is $68. 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. Helfgott) 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 →
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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.
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