Dr. F. Craig Swenson, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Swenson
Dr. F. Craig Swenson is an orthopedic surgery specialist in La Jolla, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Swenson performed 3,694 Medicare services across 1,257 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Swenson received a total of $862 from 12 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 29 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Swenson 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bupivacaine injection, 0.5 mg An injection of bupivacaine, a local anesthetic, administered in a dose of 0.5 mg. |
1,332 | $0 | $14 |
| 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. |
563 | $101 | $225 |
| Joint lubricant injection (Synvisc) | 489 | $7 | $33 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
450 | $1 | $15 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
164 | $55 | $210 |
| 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. |
131 | $35 | $105 |
| X-ray of both hips, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that captures two views of both hip joints to evaluate bone structure and alignment. |
114 | $34 | $111 |
| 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. |
81 | $118 | $340 |
| Total knee replacement | 66 | $1,076 | $5,734 |
| X-ray of both knees, standing An X-ray image of both knees taken while the patient is standing to assess bone alignment and joint space under weight-bearing conditions. |
48 | $33 | $96 |
| 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. |
45 | $28 | $90 |
| 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. |
37 | $146 | $340 |
| Total hip replacement Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components. |
30 | $1,064 | $10,980 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 30 | $179 | $440 |
| Pelvis X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the pelvic area using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
21 | $25 | $140 |
| 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. |
18 | $85 | $240 |
| X-ray of both hips, 3-4 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 3 to 4 views of both hip joints to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
17 | $46 | $135 |
| 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. |
16 | $34 | $130 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 5-10 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 5 and 10 minutes to discuss medical matters. |
16 | $35 | $50 |
| Knee joint replacement Surgical procedure to replace a knee joint with an artificial implant. |
13 | $954 | $5,565 |
| 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. |
13 | $71 | $155 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (83%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
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. Swenson is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 15% in CA), with low-engagement 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
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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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