Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Joe Lee, MD
Orthopedic Surgery · Arcadia, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Mixed 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. Lee 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. Lee
Dr. Joe Lee is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Arcadia, CA, with 17 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Lee performed 3,584 Medicare services across 2,549 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Lee received a total of $500,114 from 21 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 193 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are classified as financial or ownership interests (royalties, licensing fees, or investment interests). Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Lee 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.
✓ 17 years in practice
▲ Top 16% volume in CA
$500,114 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗3,584
Medicare services
Top 16% in CA for orthopedic surgery
2,549
Unique beneficiaries
$107
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~211 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 (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. |
1,016 | $72 | $195 |
| 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. |
573 | $104 | $295 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views An X-ray imaging test of the lower back and sacrum using at least four different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
369 | $45 | $176 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the lower back and sacral spine to visualize the bones and joints in this area. |
360 | $34 | $128 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
149 | $112 | $547 |
| MRI of lower spine, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the lower spinal canal that does not use contrast dye to create detailed images of the spine. |
140 | $110 | $1,442 |
| 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. |
135 | $126 | $455 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
128 | $34 | $120 |
| Additional sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into an additional sacral spine nerve root level, guided by imaging. |
76 | $43 | $341 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
68 | $205 | $1,700 |
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
48 | $314 | $3,000 |
| MRI of upper spine without contrast An MRI scan of the upper spinal canal that does not use contrast dye. This imaging test uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the spine. |
46 | $115 | $1,461 |
| 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. |
46 | $87 | $302 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
39 | $171 | $1,965 |
| Aspiration of bone marrow for spine bone graft | 36 | $84 | $500 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
32 | $529 | $8,200 |
| Spinal nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic or steroid medication into a single nerve root in the upper or middle spine. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
29 | $137 | $620 |
| Additional spine nerve root injection with imaging An anesthetic and/or steroid medication is injected into an additional nerve root in the upper or middle spine. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
29 | $64 | $400 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
28 | $606 | $5,700 |
| Lower back spinal fusion with bone and disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae in the lower back. It involves removing part of the spine bone and a disc to stabilize the area. |
24 | $1,458 | $13,400 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release during fusion This procedure involves removing part of the bone in a single segment of the lower spine to release the spinal cord or nerves, performed during a spinal fusion. |
24 | $210 | $1,363 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
23 | $88 | $719 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
22 | $62 | $403 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
21 | $93 | $352 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 21 | $6 | $15 |
| Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
20 | $39 | $670 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
15 | $49 | $225 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 15 | $1,300 | $11,860 |
| Spinal fusion with partial bone and disc removal A surgical procedure to join additional segments of the spine. It involves the partial removal of spine bone and disc tissue. |
14 | $358 | $4,400 |
| Partial bone removal of additional lower back spine segment during fusion This procedure involves the partial removal of bone from an additional segment of the lower spine to release the spinal cord or nerves. It is performed as part of a spinal fusion surgery in the lower back. |
14 | $186 | $1,020 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints. |
13 | $28 | $120 |
| MRI of middle spinal canal, without contrast This procedure uses magnetic resonance imaging to create detailed pictures of the middle section of the spinal canal. It is performed without the use of contrast dye. |
11 | $116 | $1,460 |
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.
5.8% high complexity
16.8% medium
77.4% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$500,114
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $71,445/year across 7 years
Top 4% in CA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
21
Companies
193
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.
Financial / Ownership
Ownership or investment interests, royalties, and licensing fees
$363,443 (72.7%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$88,237 (17.6%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$48,434 (9.7%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$27,086
2023
$97,309
2022
$103,948
2021
$79,623
2020
$62,974
2019
$73,771
2018
$55,402
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Choice Spine, LLC
$18,031
SPINEART USA INC
$8,288
Boston Scientific Corporation
$383
Medtronic, Inc.
$341
Integrity Implants Inc. dba Accelus
$27
Baxter Healthcare
$15
Top 3 companies account for 98.6% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Choice Spine, LLC
$180,054
Spineart SA
$104,847
SPINEART SA
$83,832
Spineart USA Inc
$74,065
SPINEART USA INC
$41,033
Integrity Implants Inc.
$6,922
Kyocera Medical Technologies, Inc.
$5,000
NuVasive, Inc.
$3,094
Boston Scientific Corporation
$451
Medtronic, Inc.
$341
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
$125
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$96
Clariance, Inc.
$45
Anika Therapeutics, Inc.
$42
SI-BONE, Inc.
$35
Baxter Healthcare
$33
Integrity Implants Inc. dba Accelus
$27
Amarin Pharma Inc.
$24
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$24
PROVIDENCE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
$12
SI-BONE, INC.
$11
Top 3 companies account for 73.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ALIF · APOLLO ESG System · ATLANTIS · BLACKHAWK CERVICAL SPACER SYSTEM · BOOMERANG · Blackhawk · Blackhawk Ti · BodyGuardian · Boomerang · COBALT DR MRI SURESCAN · Erisma-LP MIS · FLOSEAL · FlareHawk · HARRIER-SA LUMBAR INTERBODY SYSTEM · IFUSE IMPLANT · JULIET LL · JULIET Ti OL - POSTERIOR Ti CAGES · Juliet PO · Juliet Ti OL · Juliet Ti PO · KYPHON EXPRESS II KYPHOPAK TRAY · LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor · PERLA C · PERLA TL · Pico 14 · RENASYS GO v2 HOME · ROMEO 2 - CROSSLINK · ROMEO MIS · SCARLET AL-T · SCARLET AL-T - SECURED LUMBAR ANTERIOR CAGE · Santyl · THUNDERBOLT MINIMALLY INVASIVE PEDICLE SCREW SYSTEMS · TIGERSHARK C · TLIF · Tactoset · Tiger Shark C · Tiger Shark-C · VEO LATERAL INTERBODY FUSION SYSTEM · VEO Lateral Interbody Fusion System · Vascepa · Vemlidy · XLIF
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 →
Payments are distributed across multiple categories with no single dominant type. Total industry engagement is in the top 4% for orthopedic surgery in CA.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
481
Per 100K population
4.9
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
USC ARCADIA HOSPITAL
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. Lee is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 16% in CA), with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 4% of CA peers, with 17 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. Lee experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Lee performed 1,016 office visit, established patient (20-29 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. Lee receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Lee received a total of $500,114 from 21 companies across 193 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. Lee's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Arcadia?
Dr. Lee's average Medicare payment per service is $107. 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. Lee) 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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