Dr. Lauren Wessel, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Wessel
Dr. Lauren Wessel is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Los Angeles, CA, with 11 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Wessel performed 365 Medicare services across 279 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Wessel received a total of $19,432 from 12 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 48 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 research and scientific activities (grants and research funding). Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Wessel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
67 | $73 | $508 |
| 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. |
61 | $102 | $858 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
60 | $1 | $10 |
| 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. |
36 | $133 | $1,085 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
23 | $48 | $358 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
20 | $34 | $344 |
| 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. |
19 | $124 | $960 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 18 | $155 | $1,360 |
| 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. |
17 | $86 | $864 |
| Elbow to finger cast application Application of a cast extending from the elbow to the fingers to immobilize the arm. |
16 | $73 | $595 |
| Adult short arm fiberglass cast supplies Materials used to apply a short arm cast made of fiberglass for patients aged 11 and older. |
16 | $17 | $230 |
| Hand nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand. |
12 | $325 | $2,885 |
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 (2020-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (52%) are classified as scientific/research, suggesting involvement in clinical studies, grants, or innovation-related work.
Geographic Context
0.6 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. Wessel is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with research-focused industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Wessel experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Does Dr. Wessel receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Wessel's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Los Angeles?
What does Data Coverage mean?
Is this data up to date?
Explore related providers
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