Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Richard Ahn, M.D.

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physician · Lakewood, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
5750 DOWNEY AVE STE 308, Lakewood, CA 90712
5626333787
In practice since 2013 (12 years)
NPI: 1568809226 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. Ahn 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. Ahn

Dr. Richard Ahn is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Lakewood, CA, with 12 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Ahn performed 1,954 Medicare services across 1,080 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Ahn received a total of $1,693 from 9 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 30 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician. 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. Ahn 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.

✓ 12 years in practice ▲ Top 31% volume in CA $1,693 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,954
Medicare services
Top 31% in CA for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
1,080
Unique beneficiaries
$52
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~163 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 (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.
373 $105 $300
Betamethasone steroid injection
An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate.
342 $5 $25
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
251 $1 $15
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.
218 $33 $90
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.
208 $122 $455
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint
Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space.
186 $47 $166
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.
102 $35 $100
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint
Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint.
100 $39 $141
Elbow X-ray, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint using two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures.
30 $26 $80
Nonremovable forearm to hand splint application
A healthcare provider applies a rigid splint that extends from the forearm to the hand to immobilize and support the area.
23 $60 $190
Elbow to finger cast application
Application of a cast extending from the elbow to the fingers to immobilize the arm.
22 $79 $250
Imaging guidance for procedure, 60 minutes or less
Use of imaging technology to guide a medical procedure. This service lasts 60 minutes or less.
22 $13 $140
Adult short arm fiberglass cast supplies
Materials used to apply a short arm cast made of fiberglass for patients aged 11 and older.
22 $18 $30
Adult fiberglass short arm splint supplies
Materials for creating a fiberglass splint for an adult's short arm.
22 $11 $20
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.
20 $131 $550
Hand nerve release or relocation
A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand.
13 $375 $1,205
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.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$1,693
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $282/year across 6 years
Bottom 49% in CA for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
9
Companies
30
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.

Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,693 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$34
2023
$102
2022
$353
2021
$168
2020
$36
2019
$999

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$34
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2019-2024) ›
AXOGEN
$772
Globus Medical, Inc.
$377
Stryker Corporation
$217
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$152
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$60
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$36
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$34
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$29
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 80.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ANTHEM · AUTOBAHN · Ankle Fracture System · Avance Nerve Graft · AxoGuard Nerve Connector · AxoGuard Nerve Protector · BIO4 · CAPTIVATE · EVO Retrograde · Exparel · HYMOVIS · Integra · KRYSTEXXA · MULTILOC HUMERAL NAIL · NA · Proximal Humerus Plate · RAYOS · TROCH NAIL · VARIAX · XIAFLEX
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 →

Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Lakewood?
Compare orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in the Lakewood area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse orthopaedic hand surgery physicians nearby

Geographic Context

Orthopaedic hand surgery physicians within 10 mi
65
Per 100K population
0.7
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
UCI HEALTH-LAKEWOOD
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. Ahn is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Ahn experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Ahn performed 373 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Ahn receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Ahn received a total of $1,693 from 9 companies across 30 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. Ahn's costs compare to other orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in Lakewood?
Dr. Ahn's average Medicare payment per service is $52. 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. Ahn) 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 →