Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Cindy Johnston, MD

Rheumatology · Sarasota, FL
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
1945 VERSAILLES ST FL 2, Sarasota, FL 34239
9413650770
In practice since 2009 (16 years)
NPI: 1932332384 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Johnston 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. Johnston? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Johnston

Dr. Cindy Johnston is a rheumatology in Sarasota, FL, with 16 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Johnston performed 116,444 Medicare services across 1,276 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Johnston received a total of $20,592 from 41 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 938 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. 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. Johnston 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.

✓ 16 years in practice▲ Top 21% volume in FL$ $20,592 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
116,444
Medicare services
Top 21% in FL for rheumatology
1,276
Unique beneficiaries
$11
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~7,278 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Certolizumab injection (Cimzia)49,200$4$20
Tocilizumab injection (Actemra)24,056$5$10
Golimumab infusion (Simponi Aria)21,900$11$50
Abatacept infusion (Orencia)11,825$34$100
Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva)3,841$18$27
Infliximab infusion (Remicade)2,060$26$110
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)1,237$93$289
Injection, rituximab, 10 mg1,223$64$175
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle315$11$30
Infusion into a vein for therapy, prevention, or diagnosis, 1 hour or less309$50$100
Administration of chemotherapy into vein, 1 hour or less128$100$550
Injection, zoledronic acid, 1 mg105$6$50
Dxa bone density measurement of hip, pelvis, spine including spine fracture assessment66$50$125
Administration of chemotherapy into vein, each additional hour45$21$150
Injection of additional new drug or substance into vein24$12$34
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min)23$176$375
Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg23$6$15
Injection, methylprednisolone sodium succinate, up to 125 mg22$4$20
Joint injection, major joint18$52$160
New patient office visit (45-59 min)13$134$350
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)11$51$200
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.
31.0% high complexity
67.8% medium
1.2% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$20,592
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,942/year across 7 years
Top 22% in FL for rheumatology
41
Companies
938
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
$20,592 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$3,985
2023
$2,914
2022
$2,206
2021
$892
2020
$2,289
2019
$3,205
2018
$5,102

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$3,069
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$2,858
PFIZER INC.
$1,930
ABBVIE INC.
$1,844
Amgen Inc.
$1,510
Lilly USA, LLC
$1,212
UCB, Inc.
$913
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$870
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$864
AbbVie, Inc.
$843
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$822
GENZYME CORPORATION
$485
AbbVie Inc.
$471
Genentech USA, Inc.
$384
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$380
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$350
Radius Health, Inc.
$308
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$262
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$214
Celgene Corporation
$190
Horizon Pharma plc
$108
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$69
SOBI, INC
$64
Sobi, Inc
$64
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$63
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$53
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$46
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$44
Mallinckrodt LLC
$43
Organon Llc
$42
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$30
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
$28
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$24
Sandoz Inc.
$22
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$21
West-Ward Pharmaceuticals
$20
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$18
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$17
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$15
FIDIA PHARMA USA INC.
$13
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$10
Top 3 companies account for 38.2% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · Actemra · Arcalyst · BENLYSTA · Bimzelx · COSENTYX · Cimzia · EVENITY · EVUSHELD · Enbrel · FORTEO · HUMIRA · HYRIMOZ · Humira · Hymovis · ILARIS · INFLECTRA · KEVZARA · KINERET · KRYSTEXXA · Kineret · LUPKYNIS · Mitigare · OFEV · OPSUMIT · ORENCIA · Otezla · PREVNAR 20 · Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy System · Prolia · REMICADE · RENFLEXIS · RIALTO · RINVOQ · Rinvoq · Rituxan · SAPHNELO · SIMPONI · SIMPONI ARIA · SKYRIZI · SPEVIGO · STELARA · Strensiq · TALTZ · TAVNEOS · TREMFYA · Tavneos · Truxima · Tymlos · Uloric · XELJANZ · ZEPOSIA · Zilretta · Zoryve
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.

Equivalent to $18 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a rheumatology in Sarasota?
Compare rheumatologys in the Sarasota area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse rheumatologys nearby

Geographic Context

Rheumatologys within 10 mi
25
Per 100K population
5.6
County median income
$80,633
Nearest hospital
SARASOTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/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. Johnston is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 21% in FL), and low-engagement industry engagement, with 16 years of practice experience.

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. Johnston experienced with certolizumab injection (cimzia)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Johnston performed 49,200 certolizumab injection (cimzia) 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. Johnston receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Johnston received a total of $20,592 from 41 companies across 938 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. Johnston's costs compare to other rheumatologys in Sarasota?
Dr. Johnston's average Medicare payment per service is $11. 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. Johnston) 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 →
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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →