Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Nicholas Abidi, MD
Orthopedic Surgery · Capitola, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
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. Abidi 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. Abidi
Dr. Nicholas Abidi is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Capitola, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Abidi performed 29,383 Medicare services across 2,936 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Abidi received a total of $149,659 from 35 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 167 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. Abidi 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 1% volume in CA
$149,659 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗29,383
Medicare services
Top 1% in CA for orthopedic surgery
2,936
Unique beneficiaries
$12
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~1,546 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint lubricant injection (Gel-Syn) An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative into a joint space to supplement joint fluid. |
25,368 | $1 | $3 |
| 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. |
601 | $104 | $457 |
| Joint lubricant injection (TriVisc) An injection of hyaluronan or a derivative into a joint space. The dose specified is 1 milligram. |
425 | $7 | $16 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
337 | $43 | $183 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
311 | $9 | $18 |
| 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. |
276 | $74 | $324 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
257 | $54 | $238 |
| Ankle X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the ankle that captures at least three different angles to evaluate the bones and joints. |
221 | $35 | $146 |
| 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. |
194 | $130 | $587 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
177 | $95 | $416 |
| X-ray of foot, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the foot using two different angles to create pictures of the bones and joints. |
174 | $27 | $110 |
| Hip X-ray, 1 view An X-ray image of the hip joint taken from a single angle to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
151 | $30 | $128 |
| Foot X-ray, 3+ views An X-ray imaging test of the foot that captures at least three different views to evaluate the bones and joints. |
114 | $32 | $136 |
| MRI of leg joint, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of a joint in the leg performed without the use of contrast dye. |
114 | $152 | $1,244 |
| 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. |
86 | $37 | $157 |
| X-ray of ankle, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the ankle using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
80 | $30 | $127 |
| Knee X-ray, 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint that captures three different angles to evaluate the bones and surrounding structures. |
78 | $38 | $162 |
| Total knee replacement | 51 | $1,061 | $3,929 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
46 | $50 | $202 |
| 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. |
46 | $116 | $420 |
| 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. |
37 | $90 | $397 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 37 | $6 | $16 |
| Total hip replacement Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components. |
35 | $1,082 | $4,371 |
| Hip X-ray, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hip joint using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
31 | $44 | $186 |
| 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. |
30 | $132 | $1,171 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
24 | $45 | $205 |
| Endoscopic removal of dead or infected tissue This procedure uses an endoscope to remove extensive dead or infected tissue from the body. |
19 | $270 | $1,678 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
17 | $144 | $574 |
| Arthroscopic removal of knee cartilage A minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove damaged or loose pieces of cartilage from the knee joint using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
16 | $212 | $1,593 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
15 | $48 | $218 |
| Bone graft harvest from large bone Surgical removal of bone tissue from a large bone to be used as a graft for another part of the body. |
15 | $115 | $832 |
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.
0.4% high complexity
91.1% medium
8.4% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$149,659
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $21,380/year across 7 years
Top 8% in CA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
35
Companies
167
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
$115,781 (77.4%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$16,466 (11.0%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$10,642 (7.1%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$6,770 (4.5%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$955
2023
$6,361
2022
$18,220
2021
$24,911
2020
$25,437
2019
$37,296
2018
$36,479
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Stryker Corporation
$600
OMNIlife science, Inc
$167
EXACTECH, INC.
$58
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$47
Globus Medical, Inc.
$31
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$31
Ethicon US, LLC
$21
Top 3 companies account for 86.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Arthrex, Inc.
$115,781
ACUMED LLC
$15,897
Stelkast Inc.
$4,000
Stryker Corporation
$2,845
OMNIlife science, Inc
$2,657
Acumed LLC
$2,300
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$2,171
Heraeus Medical, LLC.
$1,967
EVOLUTION SURGICAL, INC
$541
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$288
Bone Support Inc.
$250
Osiris Therapeutics Inc.
$143
NuVasive, Inc.
$125
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$87
EXACTECH, INC.
$58
Wright Medical Technology, Inc.
$53
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$48
CROSSROADS EXTREMITY SYSTEMS, LLC
$40
Evolution Surgical, Inc
$35
Avanos Medical
$33
ACELL, INC.
$31
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$31
Globus Medical, Inc.
$31
Radius Health, Inc.
$27
FIDIA PHARMA USA INC.
$26
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$25
Bioventus LLC
$24
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$24
Baxter Healthcare
$23
Medtronic, Inc.
$22
Ethicon US, LLC
$21
Cartiva, Inc.
$20
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$16
Vericel Corporation
$13
MedShape, Inc.
$4
Top 3 companies account for 90.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ADAPT · ADES Dual Mobility · AQUAMANTYS(TM) · ARTHREX · AUGMENT INJECTABLE · AXSOS · AccuFill · Acutrak Headless Compression Screw System · Affixus · Ankle Plating System · Apollo Hip V (FKA) OMNIHip · Arthrex · Avenir · Biomet SpinalPak · Bone Graft Harvesting System · CERAMENTBONE VOID FILLER · CORI · Cannulated Screw System · Cartiva · DISTAL EXTREMITIES IMPLANTS FOOT & ANKLE CFS · DISTAL EXTREMITIES IMPLANTS HINDFOOT & ANKLE ACHILLES · DISTAL EXTREMITIES IMPLANTS MIDFOOT PLATES & SCREWS CFS · DISTAL EXTREMITIES IMPLANTS SOFT TISSUE IB LIGAMENT AUGMENTATION · Durolane · ETHICON · EXACTECHGPS · FLOSEAL · Fibula Rod System · Foot and Ankle · G7 · Gel One · HYMOVIS · Hymovis · INBONE · INFINITY · INTELLIS · IOVERA SYSTEM · Juggerknot · Juggerstitch · MACI · MAKO · MOTOBAND · NA · OMNIBotics 3.0 · ON-Q PUMP AND ACCESSORIES · PALACOS · PROPHECY · Persona · Physio-Stim · Polarus 3 Solution · REAL INTELLIGENCE · RELIGN · ROSA · Regeneten · Stratum Foot Plating System · Stravix · T2 · Trauma Product Portfolio · Tymlos · Unity Cementless · VIVIGEN MIS DELIVERY SYSTEM · ViviGen · XLIF · Zilretta
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 8% for orthopedic surgery in CA.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
64
Per 100K population
24.1
County median income
$109,266
Nearest hospital
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH FACILITY
1.9 mi
1.9 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. Abidi is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in CA), with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 8% of CA peers, 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. Abidi experienced with joint lubricant injection (gel-syn)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Abidi performed 25,368 joint lubricant injection (gel-syn) 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. Abidi receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Abidi received a total of $149,659 from 35 companies across 167 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. Abidi's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Capitola?
Dr. Abidi's average Medicare payment per service is $12. 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. Abidi) 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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