Dr. Amar Patel, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Patel
Dr. Amar Patel is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Laguna Woods, CA, with 15 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Patel performed 3,190 Medicare services across 1,725 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Patel received a total of $8,397 from 26 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 72 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. Patel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
979 | $1 | $4 |
| 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. |
306 | $70 | $301 |
| 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. |
234 | $105 | $424 |
| Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min | 233 | $19 | $91 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
224 | $41 | $194 |
| Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min A therapy session using exercises to improve strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility. Each 15-minute unit is billed separately. |
166 | $24 | $100 |
| X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
139 | $34 | $137 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
132 | $40 | $213 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
131 | $36 | $145 |
| 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. |
124 | $131 | $549 |
| 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. |
80 | $78 | $371 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
78 | $32 | $131 |
| Wrist X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the wrist using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
64 | $30 | $120 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
49 | $47 | $204 |
| Elbow X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
35 | $26 | $115 |
| Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 20 minutes | 31 | $84 | $338 |
| Incision of finger tendon sheath A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon. |
27 | $483 | $2,089 |
| Hand nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand. |
24 | $366 | $1,516 |
| Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 30 minutes | 24 | $81 | $338 |
| Injection of carpal tunnel | 20 | $81 | $344 |
| Electromyography of arm or leg muscles A test that measures the electrical activity in the muscles of the arm or leg using a needle electrode. It helps evaluate the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. |
20 | $88 | $338 |
| Aspiration or injection of tendon cyst This procedure involves draining fluid from a cyst on a tendon or injecting medication into it. |
17 | $52 | $217 |
| Orthopedic device training, 15 minutes Training on how to use an orthopedic device for the arm, leg, or trunk. The session lasts for 15 minutes. |
15 | $39 | $168 |
| MRI of arm joint, without contrast An MRI scan uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the arm joint. This specific procedure is performed without the use of a contrast dye. |
14 | $181 | $738 |
| Elbow to finger cast application Application of a cast extending from the elbow to the fingers to immobilize the arm. |
13 | $78 | $300 |
| Closed treatment of broken forearm bone at wrist without manipulation This procedure involves setting a broken forearm bone near the wrist without moving the bone fragments out of place. It is performed without manipulation to align the fracture. |
11 | $294 | $1,194 |
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 ›
The majority of payments (43%) 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.
Geographic Context
1.8 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. Patel is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement, with 15 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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