Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Alejandra Balen, M.D.

Urology Physician · Salem, MA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
400 HIGHLAND AVE, Salem, MA 01970
9787414133
In practice since 2016 (10 years)
NPI: 1508214412 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. Balen 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. Balen? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Balen

Dr. Alejandra Balen is an urology physician in Salem, MA, with 10 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Balen performed 3,901 Medicare services across 1,461 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Balen received a total of $14,486 from 6 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 32 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in urology physician. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Balen 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.

✓ 10 years in practice ▲ Top 28% volume in MA $14,486 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
3,901
Medicare services
Top 28% in MA for urology physician
1,461
Unique beneficiaries
$34
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~390 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
Botox injection, per unit
An injection of onabotulinumtoxinA, a medication used to temporarily relax muscles or reduce gland activity. The dose is measured in units, with this code representing a single unit administered.
2,000 $5 $19
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.
463 $98 $544
Automated urinalysis
An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine.
440 $2 $18
Bladder ultrasound after voiding
An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder.
387 $8 $161
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.
171 $128 $776
Cystourethroscopy
A diagnostic exam of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope to visually inspect the urinary tract.
73 $197 $1,102
Limited retroperitoneal ultrasound
A focused ultrasound exam of the area behind the abdominal cavity to evaluate specific structures.
73 $48 $376
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.
73 $64 $386
Telephone medical discussion, 21-30 minutes
A telephone conversation with a physician lasting between 21 and 30 minutes. This code covers the time spent discussing medical matters over the phone.
41 $93 $543
Endoscopic removal of foreign body, stone, or stent from urethra or bladder
A procedure to remove a foreign object, stone, or stent from the urethra or bladder using an endoscope. The endoscope is a thin tube with a camera inserted into the urinary tract to locate and extract the item.
32 $258 $2,038
Imaging of urinary tract with contrast
An imaging test of the urinary tract performed after a contrast agent is injected to enhance visibility of the structures.
28 $20 $100
Ureteral stone crushing with stent insertion
An endoscope is used to break up a stone in the ureter, followed by the placement of a stent to keep the ureter open.
22 $315 $1,905
Cystoscopy with chemical ablation of bladder
A procedure where a camera is used to examine the bladder and a chemical agent is applied to destroy abnormal tissue.
16 $323 $1,758
Limited ultrasound of pelvis
A focused ultrasound exam of the pelvic area to evaluate specific structures. This procedure provides images of the pelvis to assist in medical assessment.
16 $38 $407
Electronic assessment of bladder emptying
A test that uses electronic monitoring to evaluate how well the bladder empties urine.
15 $11 $430
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)
An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter.
15 $129 $762
Bladder irrigation and/or instillation
This procedure involves flushing the bladder with fluid to clear it or introducing medication directly into the bladder.
13 $63 $363
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.
12 $39 $243
Transrectal ultrasound of the pelvis
An ultrasound imaging procedure where a probe is inserted into the rectum to visualize pelvic structures.
11 $26 $134
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.
1.8% high complexity
64.5% medium
33.7% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$14,486
Total received (2022-2024)
Avg $4,829/year across 3 years
Top 13% in MA for urology physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
6
Companies
32
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$14,181 (97.9%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$305 (2.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$4,900
2023
$9,487
2022
$98

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Boston Scientific Corporation
$3,812
Medtronic, Inc.
$900
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$138
Agiliti Surgical, Inc.
$32
Calyxo, Inc.
$19
Top 3 companies account for 99.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2022-2024) ›
Boston Scientific Corporation
$10,359
Medtronic, Inc.
$2,300
Olympus Medical Systems Corporation
$1,620
PROCEPT BioRobotics Corporation
$138
Calyxo, Inc.
$38
Agiliti Surgical, Inc.
$32
Top 3 companies account for 98.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AQUABEAM SYSTEM · CVAC ASPIRATION SYSTEM · LITHOCLAST · Lumenis Pulse 120H · Moses 550 DFL · Moses 550 D\F\L · OES CHOLEDOCHOFIBERSCOPE · Sensor · Sonablate HIFU
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 →

The majority of payments (98%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.

Looking for an urology physician in Salem?
Compare urology physicians in the Salem area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse urology physicians nearby

Geographic Context

Urology physicians within 10 mi
181
Per 100K population
22.4
County median income
$99,431
Nearest hospital
NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER -
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. Balen is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 28% in MA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 13% of MA peers.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Balen experienced with botox injection, per unit?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Balen performed 2,000 botox injection, per unit 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. Balen receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Balen received a total of $14,486 from 6 companies across 32 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. Balen's costs compare to other urology physicians in Salem?
Dr. Balen's average Medicare payment per service is $34. 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. Balen) 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. 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.

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 →