Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Christian Ellison, MD
Family Medicine · Westfield, NJ
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
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. Ellison 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. Ellison
Dr. Christian Ellison is a family medicine specialist in Westfield, NJ, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Ellison performed 5,026 Medicare services across 3,753 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Ellison received a total of $3,395 from 33 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 231 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in family medicine. 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. Ellison 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 2% volume in NJ
$3,395 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗5,026
Medicare services
Top 2% in NJ for family medicine
3,753
Unique beneficiaries
$39
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~251 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
676 | $8 | $15 |
| Comprehensive metabolic blood panel A blood test that measures a group of chemicals, including glucose, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function markers. |
595 | $10 | $40 |
| 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. |
573 | $7 | $32 |
| Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) A blood test that measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. |
482 | $13 | $55 |
| 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. |
446 | $94 | $274 |
| Annual wellness visit, follow-up A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service. |
379 | $141 | $236 |
| 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. |
294 | $67 | $188 |
| Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring) A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. |
232 | $9 | $40 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) | 127 | $18 | $76 |
| Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test A blood test that measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone to evaluate thyroid function. |
125 | $16 | $69 |
| Flu vaccine administration This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient. |
117 | $34 | $50 |
| Flu vaccine, high-dose High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe. |
111 | $70 | $118 |
| Free PSA test A blood test that measures the amount of unbound prostate-specific antigen in the blood. |
103 | $18 | $76 |
| Pneumonia vaccine administration This procedure involves the injection of a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal disease. It is administered by a healthcare provider. |
76 | $34 | $50 |
| Creatinine test (kidney function) A blood test that measures the amount of creatinine to assess kidney function or detect muscle injury. |
69 | $5 | $22 |
| Urine microalbumin test (kidney screening) A laboratory test that measures the amount of microalbumin, a small protein, in a urine sample. This test is used to detect early signs of kidney damage. |
67 | $5 | $24 |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15) An intramuscular injection of the 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. This vaccine protects against 15 types of pneumococcal bacteria. |
57 | $237 | $444 |
| PSA test (prostate cancer screening) A blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen to screen for prostate cancer. |
53 | $19 | $76 |
| Urinalysis with microscopic exam A urine test performed manually that includes examining the sample under a microscope to check for abnormalities. |
52 | $3 | $13 |
| Uric acid level test A blood test that measures the level of uric acid in your body. Uric acid is a waste product formed when the body breaks down purines. |
41 | $4 | $19 |
| Initial preventive physical examination, new Medicare beneficiary A comprehensive preventive health visit for new Medicare beneficiaries during their first 12 months of enrollment. The service is conducted as a face-to-face visit and is limited to preventive care. |
37 | $181 | $335 |
| Transitional care management services, moderate complexity Services provided to coordinate care during the transition from an inpatient or other facility setting back to the community. This includes follow-up and management of a health problem of at least moderate complexity. |
35 | $179 | $416 |
| Ferritin level test (iron stores) A blood test that measures the level of ferritin, a protein that stores iron in the body. |
26 | $12 | $56 |
| Free thyroxine (T4) test A blood test that measures the level of free thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, in the bloodstream. |
26 | $9 | $37 |
| Iron level test | 24 | $6 | $27 |
| Iron binding capacity test A blood test that measures the amount of iron in the blood and the blood's ability to bind and transport iron. |
24 | $8 | $36 |
| Urine culture, bacterial colony count A laboratory test that measures the number of bacteria growing in a urine sample to help identify infections. |
22 | $8 | $33 |
| Urine culture, bacterial identification A laboratory test that grows and identifies bacteria from a urine sample to detect infections. |
22 | $8 | $34 |
| Pneumococcal vaccine, 23-valent A vaccine that protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria. It is used to prevent infections caused by these bacteria. |
20 | $126 | $176 |
| 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. |
18 | $40 | $169 |
| Phosphate level test A blood test that measures the amount of phosphate in your body. Phosphate is a mineral that helps keep bones and teeth strong. |
18 | $5 | $20 |
| Magnesium level test A blood test to measure the amount of magnesium in your body. This helps check for magnesium deficiency or excess. |
16 | $7 | $28 |
| Bacterial culture, aerobic A laboratory test that grows and identifies bacteria capable of surviving in oxygen. The results help determine the presence of specific aerobic microorganisms. |
16 | $8 | $33 |
| Antibiotic sensitivity test A laboratory test that determines which antibiotics, antifungals, or antivirals are effective against a specific microorganism using microdilution or agar dilution methods. |
16 | $8 | $13 |
| Annual wellness visit, initial visit A yearly appointment to review your health and create a personalized prevention plan. This initial visit focuses on preventive care and health assessment. |
16 | $181 | $346 |
| Vitamin D level test A blood test to measure the amount of Vitamin D-3 in your body. |
15 | $29 | $121 |
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.
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$3,395
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $679/year across 5 years
Top 16% in NJ for family medicine
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
33
Companies
231
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
$3,120 (91.9%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$275 (8.1%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$30
2023
$16
2020
$362
2019
$1,859
2018
$1,127
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ViiV Healthcare Company
$30
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$546
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$431
SANOFI PASTEUR INC.
$289
Novo Nordisk Inc
$274
Salix Pharmaceuticals, a division of Bausch Health US, LLC
$178
Lilly USA, LLC
$149
Amgen Inc.
$139
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$127
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$123
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$119
ViiV Healthcare Company
$104
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$87
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$87
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$83
PFIZER INC.
$80
Becton, Dickinson and Company
$63
Valeritas, Inc.
$61
Theratechnologies Inc.
$57
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$54
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$53
Insulet Corporation
$46
Abbott Laboratories
$41
AbbVie, Inc.
$37
Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
$29
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$23
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$21
Shire North American Group Inc
$15
Allergan Inc.
$15
VIVUS, Inc.
$14
Gemini Laboratories, LLC
$14
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$13
Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
$12
LifeScan, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 37.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADACEL · Aimovig · BAQSIMI · BASAGLAR · BD ULTRA-FINE · BD Ultra-Fine · BEVESPI AEROSPHERE · BREATHTEK · CHANTIX · DELSTRIGO · DIFICID · DOVATO · EGRIFTA · Entyvio · FARXIGA · FIASP · FLUZONE HIGH-DOSE · FLUZONE QUADRIVALENT · FreeStyle Libre · HUMULIN · HUMULIN R 500 · INJECTAFER · INVOKANA · ISENTRESS · JANUVIA · JARDIANCE · LINZESS · LYRICA · Levemir · Mavyret · Minimed 670G System · NATPARA (PARATHYROID HORMONE) · NOXAFIL · Omnipod · OneTouch · Ozempic · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · PREZCOBIX · Prolia · QSYMIA · Repatha · SOLIQUA · SOLIQUA 100/33 · SYMBICORT · Saxenda · Synthroid · TOUJEO · TRADJENTA · TRIUMEQ · TROGARZO · Tirosint · Tresiba · UNITHROID · V-GO · Vascepa · Victoza · XARELTO · XIFAXAN · ZERBAXA
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 (92%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Family medicine physicians within 10 mi
2,381
Per 100K population
415.9
County median income
$100,117
Nearest hospital
ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AT RAHWAY
4.5 mi
4.5 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. Ellison is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 2% in NJ), with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 16% of NJ 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. Ellison experienced with blood draw (venipuncture)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Ellison performed 676 blood draw (venipuncture) 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. Ellison receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Ellison received a total of $3,395 from 33 companies across 231 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. Ellison's costs compare to other family medicine physicians in Westfield?
Dr. Ellison's average Medicare payment per service is $39. 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. Ellison) 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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