Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Gabriel Garcia-Diaz, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgery · Merced, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
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. Garcia-Diaz 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. Garcia-Diaz?
Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →
What this data tells you about Dr. Garcia-Diaz
Dr. Gabriel Garcia-Diaz is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Merced, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Garcia-Diaz performed 8,017 Medicare services across 3,418 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Garcia-Diaz received a total of $32,998 from 28 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 162 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic 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. Garcia-Diaz 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.
✓ 18 years in practice
▲ Top 5% volume in CA
$32,998 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗8,017
Medicare services
Top 5% in CA for orthopedic surgery
3,418
Unique beneficiaries
$45
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~445 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg. |
3,897 | $0 | $10 |
| 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. |
1,398 | $101 | $220 |
| 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. |
313 | $23 | $60 |
| 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. |
276 | $73 | $150 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views An X-ray imaging test of the lower back and sacrum using at least four different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
236 | $42 | $100 |
| 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. |
223 | $129 | $340 |
| Sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging guidance An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into a sacral spine nerve root. The procedure uses imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
214 | $133 | $400 |
| Additional sacral spine nerve root injection with imaging An injection of anesthetic and/or steroid medication into an additional sacral spine nerve root level, guided by imaging. |
193 | $61 | $300 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the lower or sacral spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
179 | $106 | $387 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging guidance An injection into a lower or sacral spine facet joint using imaging guidance for the second level treated. |
170 | $60 | $228 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint A procedure to destroy nerves in a single lower or sacral spinal facet joint using imaging guidance to target pain signals. |
148 | $229 | $600 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional lower or sacral spinal facet joint. |
143 | $70 | $400 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
128 | $1 | $4 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into sacroiliac joint with imaging guidance This procedure involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid medication into the joint connecting the lower spine and hip bone. Imaging guidance is used to ensure accurate placement of the injection. |
104 | $90 | $350 |
| 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. |
91 | $34 | $80 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using 4 to 5 different views to visualize the bones and structures in that area. |
89 | $44 | $110 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
49 | $102 | $280 |
| X-ray of middle spine, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints. |
39 | $28 | $80 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures. |
29 | $34 | $80 |
| Spine facet joint injection with imaging guidance, single level An injection is administered into a single facet joint of the upper or middle spine while using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement. |
21 | $126 | $460 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
18 | $65 | $171 |
| Facet joint injection, second level, with imaging An injection into a second spinal facet joint in the upper or middle spine, guided by imaging to ensure accurate placement. |
17 | $70 | $260 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, single joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy the nerves supplying a single upper or middle spinal facet joint. It is performed to interrupt pain signals from that specific joint. |
17 | $202 | $1,000 |
| Pelvic joint fusion with imaging guidance A surgical procedure to join bones in the pelvic joint together. Imaging technology is used to guide the surgeon during the operation. |
13 | $647 | $1,500 |
| Facet joint nerve destruction, additional joint This procedure uses imaging guidance to destroy nerves in an additional upper or middle spinal facet joint. |
12 | $79 | $600 |
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.
0.2% high complexity
61.6% medium
38.2% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$32,998
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $4,714/year across 7 years
Top 17% in CA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
28
Companies
162
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
$22,823 (69.2%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$10,175 (30.8%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,163
2023
$2,380
2022
$669
2021
$411
2020
$2,374
2019
$10,882
2018
$15,120
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Spineology Inc.
$983
Medtronic, Inc.
$180
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
SI-BONE, Inc.
$23,234
VGI Medical, LLC
$2,271
Life Spine, Inc.
$2,160
NuVasive, Inc.
$1,669
Spineology Inc.
$983
Medtronic, Inc.
$717
SI-BONE, INC.
$429
PFIZER INC.
$241
Titan Spine, LLC
$182
Surgalign Spine Technologies, Inc.
$150
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$143
BAXTER HEALTHCARE
$130
Allergan Inc.
$119
SpineSource, Inc.
$82
Stryker Corporation
$82
PAINTEQ LLC
$81
Nevro Corp.
$48
GS Solutions, Inc.
$45
Nuvectra Corporation
$43
SPINAL ELEMENTS, INC.
$33
Boston Scientific Corporation
$29
Baxter Healthcare
$28
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$22
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$19
Misonix Inc
$18
Lilly USA, LLC
$16
Ethicon US, LLC
$13
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$12
Top 3 companies account for 83.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ALIF · Algovita · BoneScalpel · CENTRIC · COFLEX · Catamaran Sacroiliac Joint Fixed System · CerLoc · DALVANCE · DUEXIS · Dyna-Link TI · EMBEDA · FLOSEAL · FORTEO · IFUSE IMPLANT · INFINION · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · LYRICA · MONOVISC · Medical Device · OPTIMESH EXPANDABLE INTERBODY FUSION SYSTEM · OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION SYSTEM · Omnia · PAINTEQ · ProLift Infinity · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · STRATAFIX · SiJoin · SiJoin/VerteLoc/VerteLP/CerLoc · Simpact · T2 ALPHA · TISSEEL · TITAN ENDOSKELETON · TRAUMA · VerteLP · VerteLoc · VerteLoc/SiJoin/VerteLP/CerLoc · XARELTO · XLIF · iFuse Implant
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 (69%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
13
Per 100K population
4.6
County median income
$65,044
Nearest hospital
MERCY MEDICAL CENTER
7.6 mi
7.6 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. Garcia-Diaz is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in CA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 17% of CA peers, with 18 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. Garcia-Diaz experienced with ketorolac injection, per 15 mg?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Garcia-Diaz performed 3,897 ketorolac injection, per 15 mg 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. Garcia-Diaz receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Garcia-Diaz received a total of $32,998 from 28 companies across 162 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. Garcia-Diaz's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Merced?
Dr. Garcia-Diaz's average Medicare payment per service is $45. 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. Garcia-Diaz) 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 →
Explore related providers
Specialty guide
Understanding Orthopedic Surgery
Common procedures, typical costs, and what industry payments mean in orthopedic surgery.
Same specialty & city
Orthopedic Surgeons in Merced
Browse orthopedic surgeons in Merced ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Orthopedic Surgeons in CA
Orthopedic surgeons ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Orthopedic Surgeons in CA
Which CA orthopedic surgeons receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
SI-BONE, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from SI-BONE, Inc.
By company
VGI Medical, LLC Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from VGI Medical, LLC.
By company
Life Spine, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Life Spine, Inc.
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