Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Paul Hellstern, M.D.
Gastroenterology · Crystal River, FL
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. Hellstern 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. Hellstern?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Hellstern
Dr. Paul Hellstern is a gastroenterology specialist in Crystal River, FL, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hellstern performed 3,971 Medicare services across 2,842 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hellstern received a total of $2,742 from 27 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 176 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in gastroenterology. 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. Hellstern is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 6% volume in FL
$2,742 industry payments
Florida License Status
FL DOH · MQA1
Active license
None
Board action on record
0
Recent admin complaints
| Profession | License # | Status | Expires | Board Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Doctor | 68219 | Clear | January 31, 2028 | — |
Data from Florida Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance.
License records are public under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
Verify directly on FL DOH →
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,971
Medicare services
Top 6% in FL for gastroenterology
2,842
Unique beneficiaries
$83
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~209 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
1,097 | $62 | $145 |
| 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. |
704 | $53 | $171 |
| 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. |
247 | $63 | $171 |
| Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy A procedure to collect tissue samples from the esophagus, stomach, or upper small intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities. |
205 | $94 | $312 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
192 | $72 | $200 |
| 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. |
186 | $95 | $150 |
| 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. |
156 | $87 | $171 |
| Colon polyp removal with endoscopic snare This procedure removes polyps or growths from the large bowel using a flexible tube with a camera and a wire loop tool. The snare is used to cut off the growths during the examination. |
155 | $211 | $500 |
| Manual microscopic genetic analysis of tumor A laboratory test that uses a microscope to manually examine tumor tissue for genetic changes. |
144 | $92 | $171 |
| 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. |
120 | $138 | $250 |
| 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. |
93 | $96 | $170 |
| Complete ultrasound of abdomen A diagnostic imaging test that uses sound waves to create detailed pictures of the organs and structures within the abdomen. |
84 | $80 | $242 |
| 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. |
83 | $78 | $171 |
| Colonoscopy with biopsy A procedure to collect tissue samples from the large intestine using a flexible tube with a camera. The samples are examined to check for abnormalities or disease. |
80 | $112 | $536 |
| Upper endoscopy (EGD) A diagnostic exam of the esophagus, stomach, and upper small bowel using a flexible endoscope. |
78 | $84 | $300 |
| Ultrasound scan of organ tissue for measuring elasticity This procedure uses ultrasound technology to assess the stiffness or elasticity of organ tissues. It helps evaluate tissue characteristics without invasive methods. |
68 | $78 | $150 |
| Esophageal dilation with guide wire and endoscope A flexible endoscope is used to insert a guide wire into the esophagus, followed by dilation to widen the esophageal passage. |
59 | $128 | $350 |
| Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening, high risk A colonoscopy performed to screen for colorectal cancer in individuals identified as being at high risk for the disease. |
58 | $174 | $550 |
| 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. |
56 | $128 | $250 |
| Colonoscopy A diagnostic exam of the large bowel using a flexible endoscope to visualize the interior of the colon. |
43 | $130 | $350 |
| Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening A colonoscopy performed to screen for colorectal cancer in individuals who are not at high risk for the disease. |
33 | $180 | $550 |
| Hydrogen breath test A test that measures hydrogen levels in your breath to help evaluate stomach and bowel symptoms. |
15 | $57 | $159 |
| Office visit for established patient An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present. |
15 | $16 | $45 |
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 ↗$2,742
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $392/year across 7 years
Bottom 47% in FL for gastroenterology
27
Companies
176
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
$2,685 (97.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$57 (2.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$264
2023
$414
2022
$396
2021
$487
2020
$309
2019
$330
2018
$543
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AbbVie Inc.
$432
AbbVie, Inc.
$426
ABBVIE INC.
$290
PFIZER INC.
$275
Celgene Corporation
$164
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$135
Allergan Inc.
$129
UCB, Inc.
$107
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$106
Nestle HealthCare Nutrition Inc.
$103
FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation
$100
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$73
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$68
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
$61
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$44
Enterra Medical, Inc.
$35
Novo Nordisk Inc
$32
Medtronic, Inc.
$22
GENZYME CORPORATION
$21
Boston Scientific Corporation
$18
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$17
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$16
Axonics Modulation Technologies, Inc.
$16
Endogastric Solutions, Inc
$15
EVOKE PHARMA, INC.
$14
Evoke Pharma, Inc.
$14
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$12
Top 3 companies account for 41.9% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Axonics r-SNM System · CIMZIA · CREON · Cimzia · Creon · DIFICID · DUPIXENT · ENTYVIO · ESOPHYX · Epclusa · FUJIFILM · GI GENIUS · GIMOTI · HUMIRA · Humira · IQIRVO · LINZESS · MAVYRET · Mavyret · RELISTOR · RINVOQ · SKYRIZI · STELARA · VIBERZI · WATCHMAN FLX · XELJANZ · XIFAXAN · ZENPEP · ZEPATIER · ZEPOSIA
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 (98%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $69 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Gastroenterologists within 10 mi
15
Per 100K population
9.5
County median income
$55,355
Nearest hospital
TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL CRYSTAL RIVER
6.6 mi
6.6 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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Hellstern is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in FL), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Hellstern experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hellstern performed 1,097 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 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. Hellstern receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hellstern received a total of $2,742 from 27 companies across 176 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. Hellstern's costs compare to other gastroenterologists in Crystal River?
Dr. Hellstern's average Medicare payment per service is $83. 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. Hellstern) 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. The Transparency Score measures 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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