Michael Choi
Psychiatric/Mental Health · Orange, CANPI 1881232429
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
This record is dominated by food and beverage: $15,949 of the $18,970 with a category attached, or 84.1%. It is spread thinly across 33 manufacturers, the largest accounting for just 14.5% — the pattern of someone who eats at a lot of different presentations. 2025 is the largest year on record at $8,049, more than ten times the $243 reported in 2021. Among psychiatric/mental health clinicians in CA with any reported payments, this total sits in the top 5% — high for the specialty, which is a reason to read the composition above rather than the number alone.
Across 721 payments — averaging $26.31 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Johnson & Johnson$3K
- Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.$2K
- AbbVie$2K
- Boehringer Ingelheim$1K
- Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.$1K
- Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.$1K
- plus $8K from 27 others
Across 1 payment — averaging $2337.43 each. Payments tied to a research study. These frequently flow through the physician to a hospital or research institution rather than to the physician personally.
- E.r. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.$2K
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$5553%
- Travel & lodging$2,24712%
- Food & beverage$15,94984%
- Education$2191%
Most of this is food and beverage — typically meals provided during product presentations at a clinic or hospital. Nationally that is the single largest category of reported payments by count.
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson & Johnson | 87 | $2,742 |
| Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. | 35 | $2,410 |
| AbbVie(2 entities) | 97 | $2,268 |
| Boehringer Ingelheim | 7 | $1,249 |
| Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | 62 | $1,238 |
| Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 54 | $1,236 |
| ITI, Inc. (d/b/a Intra-cellular Therapies, Inc.) | 91 | $1,205 |
| Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. | 52 | $1,089 |
| E.r. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C. | 17 | $978 |
| Alkermes, Inc. | 32 | $785 |
| Lundbeck LLC | 41 | $700 |
| Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. | 25 | $639 |
| Indivior Inc. | 25 | $500 |
| Corium, LLC | 21 | $459 |
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | 21 | $325 |
| Noven Therapeutics, LLC | 16 | $325 |
| Medtronic | 5 | $147 |
| Biogen | 4 | $112 |
| Idorsia Pharmaceuticals US Inc | 5 | $83 |
| Tris Pharma Inc | 4 | $55 |
| Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 3 | $54 |
| Boston Scientific | 2 | $51 |
| Ironshore Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 2 | $51 |
| Harmony Biosciences LLC | 1 | $44 |
| Merck | 3 | $42 |
| Luye Pharma (USA) Ltd. | 2 | $38 |
| Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. | 1 | $24 |
| OWP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1 | $24 |
| IBSA Pharma Inc. | 1 | $23 |
| Avadel CNS Pharmaceuticals, LLC | 1 | $22 |
| Tersera Therapeutics LLC | 1 | $19 |
| Chiesi USA, Inc. | 1 | $19 |
| Almatica Pharma LLC | 1 | $16 |
What the payments were tied to
Products named in the reported payments. Only payments of $100 or more are attributed here — the typical reported payment nationally is a meal worth about $16, and listing those product-by-product would be noise.
- SPRAVATO$292
- INVEGA SUSTENNA$145
- VRAYLAR$125
- Fanapt$125
- Auvelity$112
How this compares
$18,970 in reported general payments places this provider in the 95th percentile of 2,433 psychiatric/mental health providers in California.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| Aripiprazole | 35 | $423 |
| Bupropion XlBupropion Hcl | 38 | $372 |
| Duloxetine Hcl | 30 | $251 |
| Paroxetine Hcl | 25 | $217 |
| Buspirone Hcl | 33 | $170 |
| Venlafaxine Hcl ErVenlafaxine Hcl | 11 | $167 |
| Hydroxyzine Hcl | 18 | $71 |
| Lamotrigine | 16 | $61 |
| Sertraline Hcl | 13 | $50 |
| Escitalopram Oxalate | 14 | $37 |
| Trazodone Hcl | 15 | $35 |
| Propranolol Hcl | 11 | $18 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Companies that both paid and supply prescribed drugs
These companies both reported payments to this provider and make drugs the provider prescribed under Medicare Part D in 2024. For most specialties this overlap is expected — a cardiologist who is paid by a cardiology drugmaker also treats heart disease. It is shown so the reader can see it, not because it implies anything on its own.
| Company | Paid to this provider | Part D cost of their drugs |
|---|---|---|
| Almatica Pharma LLCSertraline Hcl | $16 | $5013 claims |
Reading this fairly. The Part D column is what drug plans and patients paid pharmacies — this provider received none of it, and it reflects how many patients they treat and what those drugs cost. Against peers, this provider's reported payments sit in the 95th percentile of 2,433 psychiatric/mental health providers in California.
Other psychiatric/mental health in Orange
- Yvette ElpidioOrange$43K
- Rachel AlbaughOrange$12K
- Carey MartinMillbrae$745K
- Liberty MaciasRedlands$288K
- Joshua BurgettSacramento$239K
- Jovita Ezirim-SalamialofojeLos Angeles$162K
- Angie-Kolleen TanThousand Oaks$159K
- Thy LamVista$121K
- Samantha PerkinsAnaheim$49K
- Sarah KoLos Angeles$34K
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.