Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Curtis Cox, MD

Neurological Surgery · Laguna Niguel, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
1 PRECIPICE, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
5732570240
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1760460588 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. Cox 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 →
Are you Dr. Cox? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Cox

Dr. Curtis Cox is a neurological surgery specialist in Laguna Niguel, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cox performed 3,480 Medicare services across 673 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cox received a total of $14,181 from 2 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 39 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological surgery. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Cox 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.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ Top 1% volume in CA $14,181 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
3,480
Medicare services
Top 1% in CA for neurological surgery
673
Unique beneficiaries
$209
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~174 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
Muscle or tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less
This procedure involves the surgical removal of muscle or other tissue from the body. The total area of the removed tissue is 20.0 square centimeters or less.
1,023 $195 $350
Therapy procedure using ultrasound
A therapeutic treatment that utilizes ultrasound technology. The specific clinical purpose or condition treated is not defined in the provided description.
1,020 $411 $1,050
Additional tissue removal, per 20 sq cm
This code covers the removal of extra muscle or tissue in increments of 20 square centimeters or less. It is used to bill for additional areas treated beyond the initial procedure.
779 $62 $150
Skin and tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less
This procedure involves the surgical excision of skin and underlying tissue from an area measuring 20 square centimeters or smaller.
353 $88 $167
Home visit, established patient, low complexity
A physician visits an existing patient at their residence to provide care involving a low level of medical decision making. The visit lasts at least 30 minutes.
134 $63 $150
Additional skin and tissue removal, per 20 sq cm
This code covers the removal of skin and tissue for each additional 20 square centimeters or less beyond the initial procedure.
56 $32 $100
Chemical application to prevent wound tissue regrowth
A chemical agent is applied to a wound to inhibit the regrowth of tissue. This procedure focuses on the application of the substance to manage the wound bed.
44 $41 $150
Stomach or large bowel tube replacement with fluoroscopy
This procedure involves replacing a feeding tube in the stomach or large intestine. It is performed using fluoroscopic imaging and contrast dye to guide the placement.
30 $524 $1,000
Home visit, new patient, low complexity
A home visit for a new patient involving a low level of medical decision making. The visit lasts at least 30 minutes when time is used to determine the level of service.
30 $63 $247
Home visit, established patient, straightforward decision making
A home visit for an established patient involving straightforward medical decision making. The visit lasts at least 15 minutes when time is used to determine the level of service.
11 $37 $100
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.
0.9% high complexity
29.3% medium
69.8% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$14,181
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,836/year across 5 years
Top 28% in CA for neurological surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
2
Companies
39
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.

Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$11,554 (81.5%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$2,605 (18.4%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$22 (0.2%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$2,605
2022
$6,034
2021
$2,560
2020
$2,960
2018
$22

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$2,605
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$14,159
Olympus America Inc.
$22
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
GILENYA · MAYZENT · ThunderBeat
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 (82%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.

Looking for a neurological surgery specialist in Laguna Niguel?
Compare neurological surgerists in the Laguna Niguel area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse neurological surgerists nearby

Geographic Context

Neurological surgerists within 10 mi
75
Per 100K population
2.4
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
ALISO RIDGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, LLC
3.6 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. Cox is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in CA), with consulting-driven industry engagement, with 20 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. Cox experienced with muscle or tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cox performed 1,023 muscle or tissue removal, 20 sq cm or less 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. Cox receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Cox received a total of $14,181 from 2 companies across 39 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. Cox's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in Laguna Niguel?
Dr. Cox's average Medicare payment per service is $209. 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. Cox) 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 →
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 →