Paul Schalch, MD
Otolaryngology · Chula Vista, CANPI 1558550053
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
The money is spread across several categories — consulting fees (46.5%), food and beverage and speaking fees — rather than concentrated in one kind of arrangement. 28 manufacturers reported payments, led by Aerin Medical Inc. at 54.8% of the total. 2025 is the largest year on record at $12,906, 2.8 times the $4,532 reported in 2019. Among otolaryngology 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 334 payments — averaging $141.26 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Aerin Medical Inc.$26K
- Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.$5K
- Livanova USA, Inc.$4K
- Stryker$4K
- Intersect ENT, Inc.$2K
- Cook Incorporated$2K
- plus $5K from 22 others
Across 126 payments — averaging $4235.05 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.
- Livanova USA, Inc.$526K
- Aerin Medical Inc.$8K
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$21,94847%
- Speaking & faculty fees$5,70312%
- Travel & lodging$5,22211%
- Food & beverage$14,30930%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aerin Medical Inc. | 71 | $25,873 |
| Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. | 49 | $4,885 |
| Livanova USA, Inc. | 9 | $3,672 |
| Stryker | 76 | $3,534 |
| Intersect ENT, Inc. | 13 | $1,994 |
| Cook Incorporated | 1 | $1,935 |
| Optinose US, Inc. | 32 | $1,030 |
| Medtronic(2 entities) | 7 | $843 |
| Neurent Medical Limited | 16 | $669 |
| GSK | 27 | $613 |
| Olympus Corporation Of The Americas | 2 | $518 |
| Smith+Nephew | 3 | $466 |
| ZOLL Medical Corporation | 1 | $305 |
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. | 1 | $123 |
| Itamar Medical Inc | 3 | $112 |
| Tactile Systems Technology Inc | 3 | $96 |
| Endogastric Solutions, Inc | 1 | $88 |
| Alk-abello, Inc | 4 | $80 |
| Cook Medical LLC | 2 | $68 |
| Hospira, Inc. | 2 | $54 |
| Olympus America Inc. | 3 | $54 |
| Sanofi | 2 | $46 |
| Merck | 1 | $33 |
| Acclarent, Inc | 1 | $25 |
| Hologic Sales And Service, LLC | 1 | $21 |
| Vertical Pharmaceuticals, LLC | 1 | $18 |
| Integra Lifesciences Corporation | 1 | $14 |
| Acelrx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1 | $12 |
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.
- VIVAER STYLUS$19,626
- RHINAER STYLUS$3,962
- THN Sleep Therapy$3,365
- Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation System$3,297
- PROPEL$2,151
- VivAer$2,100
- RhinAer$2,100
- Cook Medical Sleep$1,935
- SINUVA$1,600
- Vivaer RF Stylus$1,072
- Inspire$741
- CLARIFIX CRYOTHERAPY DEVICE$537
- Xhance$517
- Regeneten$400
- ENTELLUS - XPRESS ENT DILATION SYSTEM$288
- NEUROMARK Device$175
- NEUROMARK Radiofrequency Generator$175
- 1788$137
- DUPIXENT$123
- NUCALA$106
How this compares
$47,182 in reported general payments places this provider in the 95th percentile of 1,021 otolaryngology providers in California.
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| Ipratropium Bromide | 21 | $578 |
| Fluticasone Propionate | 23 | $420 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other otolaryngology in Chula Vista
- Brian WeeksSan Diego$924K
- Randall OwRoseville$613K
- Amir MoradiVista$389K
- Keith BlackwellLos Angeles$349K
- Kalpna DurairajSun Valley$348K
- Todd MillerNewport Beach$259K
- Jeffrey SuhLos Angeles$223K
- Dennis TangLos Angeles$209K
- Jeffrey FeinfieldThousand Oaks$160K
- Jonathan SykesGranite Bay$148K
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.