Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Sara James, M.D.
Pediatrics · Chapel Hill, NC
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. James 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. James
Dr. Sara James is a pediatrics specialist in Chapel Hill, NC, with 10 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. James performed 3,275 Medicare services in 2023. These records do not provide a deduplicated patient total.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. James received a total of $4,305 from 24 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 199 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly reported through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their effect on care. A reliable breakdown by payment category is not available in this snapshot. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. James 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 of NPI registration
▲ Top 5% volume in NC
$4,305 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary — 2023
Medicare Utilization ↗3,275
Medicare services
Top 5% in NC for pediatrics
Not available
Unique patients (not deduplicated)
$50
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14 This procedure involves the removal or destruction of two to fourteen precancerous skin lesions. It is performed to eliminate abnormal skin cells that have the potential to develop into cancer. |
922 | $5 | $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. |
478 | $58 | $152 |
| Destruction of precancerous skin growth, 1 Removal of a single precancerous skin growth. This procedure destroys abnormal skin cells to prevent them from developing into cancer. |
336 | $31 | $112 |
| Skin biopsy, tangential A procedure to remove a sample of the first identified skin growth for laboratory examination. |
280 | $60 | $169 |
| Radiation treatment planning, 1 area This procedure involves gathering the necessary data to design the most effective radiation therapy plan for a single treatment area. |
216 | $200 | $446 |
| Superficial or low voltage radiation treatment A radiation therapy procedure that delivers radiation to the surface of the body or uses low voltage energy. This treatment targets areas close to the skin. |
208 | $30 | $67 |
| Destruction of skin growths (warts/lesions), 1-14 This procedure involves the removal or destruction of one to fourteen skin growths. It is a minor surgical intervention performed on the skin surface. |
203 | $75 | $190 |
| 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. |
152 | $86 | $215 |
| Additional skin growth biopsy Removal of a sample of an additional skin growth for laboratory examination. This code is used for each extra lesion biopsied during the same session. |
116 | $36 | $84 |
| 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. |
90 | $69 | $188 |
| 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. |
87 | $38 | $95 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
31 | $1 | $2 |
| Injection into skin growths, 1-7 A procedure involving the injection of medication into one to seven skin growths. |
27 | $31 | $95 |
| 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. |
26 | $96 | $280 |
| Skin growth shaving, 0.5 cm or less This procedure involves shaving off a small skin growth measuring 0.5 centimeters or less from the body, arms, or legs. |
21 | $53 | $170 |
| Destruction of cancer skin growth, 1.1-2.0 cm Removal of a cancerous skin growth on the trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 1.1 and 2.0 centimeters. |
21 | $103 | $299 |
| Shaving of skin growth, 0.6-1.0 cm A minor procedure to shave off a skin growth on the body, arms, or legs that measures between 0.6 and 1.0 centimeters. |
18 | $80 | $205 |
| Punch biopsy of first skin growth A small, circular piece of skin is removed from a skin growth using a circular blade. The sample is then sent to a laboratory for examination. |
16 | $85 | $210 |
| New patient office visit, 15-29 minutes An initial office visit for a new patient lasting 15 to 29 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter meets this duration threshold. |
14 | $46 | $121 |
| Intermediate wound repair, 2.6-7.5 cm A medical procedure to close a wound on the scalp, underarms, trunk, arms, or legs that measures between 2.6 and 7.5 centimeters. This type of repair involves cleaning the wound and stitching it closed to promote healing. |
13 | $220 | $510 |
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. These counts do not measure clinical quality or years of experience.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$4,305
Total received (2020-2024)
Avg $861/year across 5 years
Top 5% in NC for pediatrics
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
24
Companies
199
Payment records
Payments are publicly reported; disclosure does not establish legality · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment categories are unavailable while the source breakdown is being rebuilt. Company and year totals do not identify how much belongs to each category.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,035
2023
$1,220
2022
$1,500
2021
$510
2020
$41
Payments by company (2024)
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$306
ABBVIE INC.
$202
Lilly USA, LLC
$105
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$83
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$68
PFIZER INC.
$63
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$52
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$38
Amgen Inc.
$32
Incyte Corporation
$29
Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$23
LEO Pharma Inc.
$18
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 59.1% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2020-2024) ›
ABBVIE INC.
$1,220
GENZYME CORPORATION
$357
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
$306
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$305
PFIZER INC.
$305
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$270
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$189
Lilly USA, LLC
$170
LEO Pharma Inc.
$166
Dermavant Sciences, Inc.
$138
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$117
Amgen Inc.
$114
AbbVie Inc.
$91
UCB, Inc.
$72
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$68
Incyte Corporation
$65
Biofrontera Inc.
$65
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
$64
EPI Health, LLC
$61
SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES INC.
$52
Ortho Dermatologics, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$42
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$25
Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$23
Journey Medical Corporation
$20
Top 3 companies account for 43.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADBRY · AMELUZ · ARAZLO · Absorica LD · CIBINQO · CLODERM · COSENTYX · Cimzia · DUPIXENT · ENSTILAR · EPSOLAY · EUCRISA · Enbrel · FABRAZYME · FINACEA · ILUMYA · LIBTAYO · OLUMIANT · OPZELURA · Otezla · QBREXZA · RINVOQ · SILIQ · SKYRIZI · SPEVIGO · Sotyktu · TALTZ · TREMFYA · TWYNEO · VTAMA · Winlevi · YCANTH · Zoryve
Should you be concerned? Industry payments are disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their purpose, legality, or effect on care. 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 →
Geographic Context
Pediatricians in nearby ZIP areas
457
County median income
$88,553
Nearest hospital to ZIP centroid (approximate)
UNC HOSPITALS
7.1 mi
7.1 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | NPPES snapshot; verify current record |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | PECOS snapshot |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not included | 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. James is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in NC).
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. James experienced with destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. James performed 922 destruction of precancerous skin growths, 2-14 services. These records cover Medicare fee-for-service activity, including eligible younger beneficiaries; they do not measure total practice volume or clinical quality.
Does Dr. James receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. James received a total of $4,305 from 24 companies across 199 payment records. A record can group multiple payments. These transfers are publicly disclosed through CMS Open Payments. Disclosure alone does not establish their legality or effect on care. 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. James's costs compare to other pediatricians in Chapel Hill?
Dr. James's average Medicare payment per service is $50. 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. James) 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 the presence of registry, enrollment, activity or payment records, not verified experience or clinical quality. 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?
Source publication dates and the snapshots loaded on this site can differ. Rebuilding a page does not refresh its source records. Check the Medicare reporting year and the payment interval shown above; consult the linked official sources for newer releases and current registry details. See our data freshness policy →
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By company
ABBVIE INC. Payments to Doctors
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By company
GENZYME CORPORATION Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from GENZYME CORPORATION.
By company
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.
About this page
This page combines public CMS records with calculated summaries and explanatory procedure labels. These transformations are not verbatim federal records. Sources: 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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