Dr. Richard Pittsley, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Pittsley
Dr. Richard Pittsley is a rheumatology specialist in East Lansing, MI, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Pittsley performed 39,439 Medicare services across 1,500 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Pittsley received a total of $31,482 from 32 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 668 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Pittsley 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romosozumab injection (Evenity) for osteoporosis | 18,270 | $8 | $11 |
| Abatacept infusion (Orencia) An injection of abatacept administered under the direct supervision of a physician. This code is used for Medicare when the drug is not self-administered. |
12,250 | $34 | $60 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 4,680 | $18 | $25 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
540 | $6 | $6 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
482 | $10 | $84 |
| 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. |
432 | $88 | $150 |
| Complete blood count (CBC) with differential An automated laboratory test that measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood, including a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells. |
389 | $8 | $23 |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test A blood test that measures how quickly red blood cells settle in a test tube to detect inflammation in the body. This specific method is performed manually rather than using an automated machine. |
313 | $4 | $11 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
307 | $29 | $50 |
| C-reactive protein test (inflammation marker) A blood test that measures the level of C-reactive protein to detect the presence of infection or inflammation in the body. |
288 | $5 | $30 |
| 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. |
247 | $125 | $200 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
198 | $11 | $40 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
191 | $46 | $250 |
| Parathyroid hormone level test A blood test that measures the amount of parathyroid hormone in your body. This hormone helps regulate calcium levels in the blood and bones. |
135 | $40 | $65 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
119 | $16 | $38 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
108 | $3 | $11 |
| 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. |
85 | $64 | $100 |
| Thyroxine (T4) level test A blood test that measures the total amount of thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in your body. |
65 | $7 | $23 |
| Thyroid hormone evaluation A blood test to measure the levels of thyroid hormones in the body. This evaluation helps assess how well the thyroid gland is functioning. |
65 | $6 | $18 |
| Urine microalbumin test A laboratory test that measures the amount of a specific protein called microalbumin in a urine sample. This analysis helps assess kidney function. |
57 | $6 | $10 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
57 | $5 | $10 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
48 | $10 | $20 |
| Ferritin level test (iron stores) A blood test that measures the level of ferritin, a protein that stores iron in the body. |
33 | $13 | $30 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
33 | $9 | $26 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 13 | $153 | $250 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views An X-ray imaging test of the lower back and sacrum using at least four different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
12 | $32 | $87 |
| Autoimmune disorder screening test A laboratory test used to screen for the presence of autoimmune disorders. |
11 | $12 | $28 |
| Rheumatoid factor analysis | 11 | $6 | $12 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (72%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in rheumatology and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
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. Pittsley is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 9% in MI), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 12% of MI peers, 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. Pittsley experienced with romosozumab injection (evenity) for osteoporosis?
Does Dr. Pittsley receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Pittsley's costs compare to other rheumatologists in East Lansing?
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Is this data up to date?
Explore related providers
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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