Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Stephen Chow, MD

Orthopedic Surgery · Apple Valley, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
18095 US HIGHWAY 18, Apple Valley, CA 92307
7602428238
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1447296652 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Chow 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. Chow

Dr. Stephen Chow is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Apple Valley, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Chow performed 1,779 Medicare services across 1,003 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Chow received a total of $1,432 from 4 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 7 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Chow 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 32% volume in CA $1,432 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,779
Medicare services
Top 32% in CA for orthopedic surgery
1,003
Unique beneficiaries
$83
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~94 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
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
 438 $1 $15
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.
 434 $96 $221
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.
 329 $70 $135
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
 161 $52 $173
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)
An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter.
 134 $131 $313
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.
 91 $122 $347
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) 33 $156 $441
Tendon or ligament injection
A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament.
 24 $47 $143
Muscle repair above knee joint
Surgical repair of a muscle located in the thigh area, above the knee joint.
 21 $309 $1,815
Incision of back knee joint capsule
A surgical procedure involving an incision into the posterior capsule of the knee joint.
 20 $337 $1,863
Total knee replacement 20 $1,043 $4,922
Computer-assisted surgery for muscle and bone procedure
A surgical procedure involving muscles or bones that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning or execution.
 19 $117 $382
Knee X-ray, 1-2 views
An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures.
 18 $24 $76
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.
 14 $78 $245
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint
Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space.
 12 $43 $146
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint
Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint.
 11 $44 $80
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.
2.2% high complexity
36.3% medium
61.5% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2023 ↗
$1,432
Total received (2019-2023)
Avg $477/year across 3 years
Bottom 39% in CA for orthopedic surgery
4
Companies
7
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$1,200 (83.8%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$232 (16.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2023
$41
2022
$1,261
2019
$130

Payments by company (2023)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medtronic, Inc.
$22
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$19
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2023 payments
All-time payments by company (2019-2023) ›
Empire Medical, Inc
$1,200
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$192
Medtronic, Inc.
$22
DJO, LLC
$18
Top 3 companies account for 98.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
CMF · HEALICOIL · LENS Surgical Imaging System · MAZOR X SYSTEM · Pico 14 · Regeneten
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 →

The majority of payments (84%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in orthopedic surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Looking for an orthopedic surgery specialist in Apple Valley?
Compare orthopedic surgeons in the Apple Valley area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse orthopedic surgeons nearby

Geographic Context

Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
12
Per 100K population
0.5
County median income
$82,184
Nearest hospital
PROVIDENCE ST MARY MEDICAL CENTER
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 2023
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. Chow is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement, with 19 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. Chow experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Chow performed 438 steroid injection (triamcinolone) 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. Chow receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Chow received a total of $1,432 from 4 companies across 7 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. Chow's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Apple Valley?
Dr. Chow's average Medicare payment per service is $83. 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. Chow) 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.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →