Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Michael Hunter, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgery · Newport Beach, 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. Hunter 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. Hunter?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Hunter
Dr. Michael Hunter is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Newport Beach, CA, with 10 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hunter performed 4,509 Medicare services across 2,816 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hunter received a total of $48,436 from 12 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 78 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. Hunter 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.
✓ 10 years in practice
▲ Top 12% volume in CA
$48,436 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗4,509
Medicare services
Top 12% in CA for orthopedic surgery
2,816
Unique beneficiaries
$72
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~451 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
1,084 | $1 | $5 |
| 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. |
862 | $73 | $210 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
444 | $39 | $140 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
392 | $55 | $255 |
| Hip X-ray, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hip joint using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
304 | $41 | $134 |
| 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. |
262 | $87 | $320 |
| 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. |
198 | $108 | $310 |
| 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. |
113 | $23 | $87 |
| Orthovisc intra-articular injection An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative into a joint space to provide lubrication and cushioning. |
102 | $102 | $472 |
| Knee X-ray, 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint that captures three different angles to evaluate the bones and surrounding structures. |
97 | $37 | $121 |
| Musculoskeletal remote monitoring device supply, 30 days A device supply that records and transmits data for remote monitoring of the musculoskeletal system over a 30-day period. |
72 | $46 | $180 |
| Remote therapy monitoring setup and education This service involves setting up equipment and providing patient education for the remote monitoring of therapy. |
71 | $17 | $62 |
| Knee X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
56 | $30 | $96 |
| X-ray of thigh bone, minimum 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the thigh bone using at least two different angles to visualize the bone structure. |
55 | $28 | $107 |
| Total hip replacement Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components. |
49 | $1,084 | $4,250 |
| 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. |
47 | $139 | $480 |
| Remote therapeutic monitoring, first 20 minutes Physician management of remote therapeutic monitoring data for the first 20 minutes per calendar month. |
45 | $43 | $153 |
| Total knee replacement | 42 | $1,084 | $4,550 |
| Remote therapeutic monitoring, additional 20 minutes This service covers the physician's time for managing remote therapeutic monitoring data beyond the initial monthly allotment. It applies for each additional 20-minute increment used within a calendar month. |
34 | $34 | $112 |
| MRI of leg joint, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of a joint in the leg performed without the use of contrast dye. |
28 | $134 | $1,630 |
| MRI of lower spine, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the lower spinal canal that does not use contrast dye to create detailed images of the spine. |
22 | $116 | $1,579 |
| Ankle X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the ankle that captures at least three different angles to evaluate the bones and joints. |
22 | $34 | $110 |
| Hyaluronan intra-articular injection An injection of hyaluronan or a derivative into a joint to provide lubrication and cushioning. |
22 | $537 | $1,670 |
| Hip X-ray, 1 view An X-ray image of the hip joint taken from a single angle to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
21 | $29 | $97 |
| X-ray of both hips, 2 views An X-ray imaging test that captures two views of both hip joints to evaluate bone structure and alignment. |
21 | $36 | $130 |
| X-ray of lower leg, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the lower leg using two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
18 | $26 | $87 |
| 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. |
15 | $102 | $400 |
| Surgical repair of broken thigh bone with implant A surgical procedure to fix a fractured femur by using a bone implant to stabilize the broken bone. |
11 | $1,043 | $3,670 |
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.
2.0% high complexity
36.6% medium
61.4% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$48,436
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $6,919/year across 7 years
Top 13% in CA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
12
Companies
78
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
$34,927 (72.1%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$11,416 (23.6%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,093 (4.3%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$35,111
2023
$293
2022
$92
2021
$6,260
2020
$5,276
2019
$1,013
2018
$393
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$27,427
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$7,501
Avanos Medical
$72
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$63
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$26
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$23
Top 3 companies account for 99.7% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$37,641
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$7,554
OMNIlife science, Inc
$1,234
Peerless Surgical Inc.
$1,201
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$185
ATRICURE, INC.
$139
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$138
Wright Medical Technology, Inc.
$94
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$86
AtriCure, Inc.
$78
Avanos Medical
$72
Bioventus LLC
$14
Top 3 companies account for 95.9% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTIS · ATRICLIP LAA EXCLUSION SYSTEM · ATRICURE CRYOICE CRYOSPHERE CRYOABLATION SYSTEM · CONQUEST FN · Durolane · Exparel · FIBERGRAFT · Hips Product Portfolio · Iovera · JOURNEY II · JOURNEY II BCS · MONOVISC · NA · NAVIO · ON-Q* PUMP AND ACCESSORIES · ORTHOLOC · POLARSTEM · Persona · REAL INTELLIGENCE · ROSA · SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM · VIPER · Velys
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 (72%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
273
Per 100K population
8.6
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
COLLEGE HOSPITAL COSTA MESA
2.8 mi
2.8 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. Hunter is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in CA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 13% of CA peers.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Hunter experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hunter performed 1,084 steroid injection (triamcinolone) 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. Hunter receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hunter received a total of $48,436 from 12 companies across 78 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. Hunter's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Newport Beach?
Dr. Hunter's average Medicare payment per service is $72. 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. Hunter) 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 →
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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.
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