Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Ray Helms, M.D.
Cardiovascular Disease · Libertyville, IL
Practice pattern: Electrophysiology & Remote
— Practice combining electrophysiology and remote services
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. Helms 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. Helms
Dr. Ray Helms is a cardiovascular disease specialist in Libertyville, IL, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Helms performed 3,354 Medicare services across 2,003 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Helms received a total of $1,629 from 18 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 56 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in cardiovascular disease. 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. Helms 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.
✓ 19 years in practice
▲ Top 26% volume in IL
$1,629 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,354
Medicare services
Top 26% in IL for cardiovascular disease
2,003
Unique beneficiaries
$53
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~177 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days Remote evaluation of a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the last check. |
793 | $18 | $103 |
| Remote pacemaker monitoring, 90 days Remote assessment of a pacemaker system, including single, dual, multiple lead, or leadless devices, performed up to 90 days apart. |
458 | $23 | $124 |
| 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. |
423 | $71 | $235 |
| Remote evaluation of implantable defibrillator system Remote assessment of a single, dual, or multiple lead implantable defibrillator system within 90 days of the previous evaluation. |
339 | $28 | $232 |
| 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. |
207 | $65 | $232 |
| Pacemaker programming, dual lead system Adjustment and configuration of a dual-lead pacemaker device to ensure proper operation and settings. |
185 | $64 | $216 |
| Electrocardiogram, 1-3 leads with physician review A heart rhythm test using one to three electrodes to record electrical activity, with interpretation by a physician. |
174 | $10 | $45 |
| 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. |
119 | $141 | $649 |
| Programming of multiple lead implantable defibrillator system Adjustment and testing of the settings for an implanted heart device with multiple leads to ensure proper function. |
67 | $84 | $324 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
67 | $11 | $95 |
| Programming of dual lead implantable defibrillator system Adjustment and testing of the settings for an implanted heart device with two leads to ensure proper function. |
66 | $80 | $294 |
| Pacemaker programming, single lead Adjustment and testing of a single-lead pacemaker to ensure it functions correctly. |
56 | $53 | $180 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
52 | $107 | $443 |
| 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. |
51 | $101 | $344 |
| 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. |
44 | $134 | $538 |
| 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. |
42 | $98 | $335 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, low complexity Follow-up hospital visit for an established patient with straightforward or low-level medical decision making. The visit requires at least 25 minutes of time spent on the day of service. |
33 | $41 | $129 |
| Pacemaker insertion with heart chamber electrodes A surgical procedure to implant a pacemaker device and place electrodes into the upper and lower chambers of the heart to regulate heart rhythm. |
32 | $431 | $1,975 |
| Programming of single lead implantable defibrillator system Adjustment and testing of the settings for a single-lead implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to ensure proper function. |
31 | $67 | $232 |
| External shock to heart to regulate heart beat A procedure that delivers an electric shock to the heart from outside the body to restore a normal heart rhythm. |
27 | $89 | $824 |
| 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. |
25 | $45 | $142 |
| Pacemaker system programming Adjustment and testing of a multi-lead pacemaker to ensure proper function and settings. |
18 | $71 | $247 |
| Cardiac rhythm monitor evaluation Review and analysis of data recorded by a cardiac rhythm monitoring device to assess heart activity. |
17 | $42 | $129 |
| Continuous ECG monitoring, up to 30 days Continuous heart rhythm monitoring for up to 30 days, including professional review and reporting of the results. |
15 | $21 | $81 |
| Insertion of implantable defibrillator system A surgical procedure to place an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) device into the body. The device is connected to the heart to monitor heart rhythm and deliver shocks if dangerous arrhythmias occur. |
13 | $769 | $3,430 |
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.
61.4% high complexity
0.0% medium
38.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$1,629
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $233/year across 7 years
Bottom 46% in IL for cardiovascular disease
18
Companies
56
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
$1,629 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$180
2023
$152
2022
$320
2021
$156
2020
$29
2019
$121
2018
$671
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$60
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$27
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$22
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$20
Elutia, Inc.
$20
Baxter Healthcare
$17
BIOTRONIK INC.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 60.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$607
Boston Scientific Corporation
$194
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$193
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$164
Aziyo Biologics, Inc.
$91
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$64
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$56
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$45
PFIZER INC.
$33
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$32
Abbott Laboratories
$24
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$20
Elutia, Inc.
$20
MEDICOMP INC
$19
CARDIVA MEDICAL, INC.
$19
G Medical Diagnostic Services, Inc.
$17
Baxter Healthcare
$17
BIOTRONIK INC.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 61.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(6557) Mechanical Tools · AMVIA EDGE · BioPharma Sol - Contract Manuf · CARDIVA VASCADE 6/7F VCS · CHANTIX · Cardiac Monitoring Suite · Cobalt · ECM Patch · ELIQUIS · ENTRESTO · JARDIANCE · LEQVIO · LifeVest · MULTAQ · PRESSUREWIRE · Pouch · RELIANCE 4FRONT · Reveal LINQ · SelectSecure · TELEPATCH CARDIAC MONITOR · WATCHMAN Access System · XARELTO
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
Cardiologists within 10 mi
186
Per 100K population
26.1
County median income
$108,917
Nearest hospital
ADVOCATE CONDELL MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi
0.0 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. Helms is an electrophysiology & remote specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 26% in IL), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 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. Helms experienced with remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Helms performed 793 remote pacemaker/defibrillator monitoring, 90 days 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. Helms receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Helms received a total of $1,629 from 18 companies across 56 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. Helms's costs compare to other cardiologists in Libertyville?
Dr. Helms's average Medicare payment per service is $53. 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. Helms) 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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