Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Richard Begg, MD
Cardiovascular Disease · Butler, PA
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. Begg 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. Begg
Dr. Richard Begg is a cardiovascular disease specialist in Butler, PA, with 21 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Begg performed 1,039 Medicare services across 818 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Begg received a total of $18,743 from 50 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 593 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. Begg 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.
✓ 21 years in practice
▲ 1,039 Medicare services
$18,743 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗1,039
Medicare services
Bottom 34% in PA for cardiovascular disease
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
818
Unique beneficiaries
$56
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~49 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
280 | $86 | $171 |
| Electrocardiogram (EKG), 12-lead A standard heart rhythm test using at least 12 leads to record electrical activity. A healthcare provider interprets the results and provides a written report. |
250 | $10 | $45 |
| 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. |
200 | $57 | $118 |
| Chronic care management, first 20 min/month This service covers the first 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional each calendar month to manage chronic conditions. |
97 | $48 | $97 |
| 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. |
76 | $110 | $260 |
| Chronic care management, additional 20 min/month This service covers an extra 20 minutes of clinical staff time directed by a healthcare professional for managing two or more chronic conditions each calendar month. |
71 | $36 | $72 |
| 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. |
27 | $78 | $169 |
| 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. |
25 | $10 | $17 |
| Coronary angiography A procedure to insert a tube into a coronary artery to capture diagnostic images of the heart's blood vessels. |
13 | $152 | $815 |
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 ↗$18,743
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,678/year across 7 years
Top 15% in PA for cardiovascular disease
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
50
Companies
593
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
$18,625 (99.4%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$118 (0.6%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$2,237
2023
$2,836
2022
$2,369
2021
$1,510
2020
$1,065
2019
$5,426
2018
$3,299
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$362
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$303
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$228
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$216
HEARTFLOW, INC.
$210
Amgen Inc.
$192
Abbott Laboratories
$183
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$140
PFIZER INC.
$84
Novo Nordisk Inc
$53
SCPHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$48
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$44
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$37
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$36
ABIOMED
$22
ATRICURE, INC.
$19
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$16
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$15
CVRx, Inc.
$15
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 40.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
$3,311
Boston Scientific Corporation
$3,121
HeartFlow, Inc.
$1,554
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,412
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$1,297
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$982
ZOLL Services LLC (A/K/A ZOLL LifeCor Corp)
$888
Abbott Laboratories
$777
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$594
Amgen Inc.
$557
ShockWave Medical, Inc
$528
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$470
ABIOMED
$356
ATRICURE, INC.
$320
PFIZER INC.
$283
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$251
HEARTFLOW, INC.
$210
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$199
Shockwave Medical, Inc
$179
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$172
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$170
Novo Nordisk Inc
$118
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.
$104
Getinge USA Sales, LLC
$94
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
$68
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$66
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$61
SCPHARMACEUTICALS INC.
$61
Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.
$44
Maquet Cardiovascular U.S. Sales, L.L.C.
$39
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$37
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$37
MEDICOMP INC
$34
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$31
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
$30
CVRx, Inc.
$29
Medtronic, Inc.
$28
Lundbeck LLC
$26
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$25
Chiesi USA, Inc.
$22
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.
$21
Kestra Medical Technology Services, Inc.
$21
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$16
LivaNova USA, Inc.
$16
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$15
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$15
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$15
Medicure Pharma Inc.
$13
Impulse Dynamics (USA) Inc.
$13
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 42.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AMPLATZER Occluders · ANDEXXA · ATRICURE SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM · AVEIR · Aggrastat (tirofiban HCl) · Arcalyst · Arctic Front · Assure WCD · BRILINTA · Barostim Neo System · CAMZYOS · CARDIOHELP · CARDIOMEMS · CHANTIX · COREVALVE EVOLUT R · Cardiac Monitor · CardioMEMS HF System · Cardiohelp · Confirm Rx · Corlanor · ELIQUIS · EMBLEM SICD ELECTRODE DELIVERY SYSTEM · ENTRESTO · EPI-SENSE GUIDED COAGULATION SYSTEM WITH VISITRAX · EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · EXCLUDER Conformable AAA Endoprosthesis with Active Control · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve · Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Heart Valve · FARXIGA · FFRct · FUROSCIX · Flexitouch Plus · GALLANT · INJECTAFER · INSPIRE · Impella · Inpefa · JARDIANCE · KENGREAL · Kerendia · LEQVIO · LEXISCAN · LOKELMA · LifeSPARC System · LifeVest · Livalo · MULTAQ · Mitra Clip system · NEXLETOL · NORTHERA · OPSUMIT · OPSUMIT MACITENTAN · Optimizer · Ozempic · PRADAXA · PRALUENT · PRALUENT ALIROCUMAB INJECTION · Quadra Allure MP RF CRT Pacemkr · Repatha · Rybelsus · SAMSCA · SHOCKWAVE INTRAVASCULAR LITHOTRIPSY (IVL) SYSTEM WITH THE SHOCKWAVE C2+ CORONARY · SHOCKWAVE IVL SYSTEM WITH THE SHOCKWAVE C2 CORONARY IVL CATHETER · SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM · Shockwave IVL System with the Shockwave C2 Coronary IVL Catheter · Shockwave Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) System with the Shockwave C2+ Coronary · Shockwave Medical L6 Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) Catheter · Unify Assura CRT Defibrillator · VALITUDE · VERQUVO · VYNDAQEL · Vascepa · WATCHMAN · WATCHMAN Access System · WATCHMAN FLX · Wegovy · XARELTO · Xience Sierra Coronary Stent
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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Cardiologists within 10 mi
24
Per 100K population
12.3
County median income
$86,775
Nearest hospital
INDEPENDENCE HEALTH SYSTEM BUTLER MEMORIAL HOSPITA
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. Begg is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement in the top 15% of PA peers, with 21 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. Begg experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Begg performed 280 office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 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. Begg receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Begg received a total of $18,743 from 50 companies across 593 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. Begg's costs compare to other cardiologists in Butler?
Dr. Begg's average Medicare payment per service is $56. 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. Begg) 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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