Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Shaunak Desai, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgery · Newport Beach, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
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. Desai 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. Desai
Dr. Shaunak Desai is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Newport Beach, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Desai performed 6,181 Medicare services across 2,714 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Desai received a total of $15,798 from 11 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 33 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. 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. Desai 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 7% volume in CA
$15,798 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗6,181
Medicare services
Top 7% in CA for orthopedic surgery
2,714
Unique beneficiaries
$55
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~343 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collagenase injection, 0.01 mg An injection of collagenase enzyme to break down collagen tissue. The dose specified is 0.01 milligrams. |
1,826 | $52 | $147 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
643 | $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. |
628 | $73 | $210 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram. |
494 | $0 | $5 |
| 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. |
348 | $87 | $320 |
| 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. |
322 | $35 | $120 |
| 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. |
294 | $102 | $310 |
| 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. |
267 | $33 | $110 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
249 | $42 | $179 |
| Remote therapy monitoring setup and education This service involves setting up equipment and providing patient education for the remote monitoring of therapy. |
108 | $18 | $62 |
| 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. |
107 | $46 | $180 |
| Adult short arm fiberglass cast supplies Materials used to apply a short arm cast made of fiberglass for patients aged 11 and older. |
98 | $18 | $45 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
92 | $46 | $196 |
| 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. |
82 | $34 | $100 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint. |
74 | $34 | $175 |
| Incision of finger tendon sheath A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon. |
61 | $215 | $1,710 |
| Remote therapeutic monitoring, first 20 minutes Physician management of remote therapeutic monitoring data for the first 20 minutes per calendar month. |
55 | $42 | $153 |
| 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. |
54 | $26 | $120 |
| Hand nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand. |
53 | $364 | $1,250 |
| Adult fiberglass short arm splint supplies Materials for creating a fiberglass splint for an adult's short arm. |
51 | $11 | $45 |
| 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. |
36 | $54 | $210 |
| Nerve conduction study, 9-10 studies A diagnostic test that measures how well nerves send electrical signals. It involves performing 9 to 10 separate nerve conduction studies to evaluate nerve function. |
36 | $185 | $820 |
| 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. |
34 | $82 | $420 |
| 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. |
33 | $34 | $112 |
| Elbow to finger cast application Application of a cast extending from the elbow to the fingers to immobilize the arm. |
30 | $77 | $260 |
| X-ray of collar bone An X-ray image of the collar bone (clavicle) to evaluate its structure and alignment. |
29 | $30 | $100 |
| Open incision of forearm or wrist tendon A surgical procedure to cut a tendon in the forearm or wrist through an open incision. |
27 | $192 | $1,520 |
| Open treatment of distal radius fracture with internal fixation Surgical repair of a broken wrist bone involving three or more fragments on the thumb side, stabilized with an internal device. |
24 | $898 | $3,040 |
| 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. |
15 | $126 | $480 |
| Palm connective tissue removal and finger release Surgical removal of abnormal connective tissue in the palm to release tension on the first finger. |
11 | $731 | $2,420 |
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 ↗$15,798
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,160/year across 5 years
Top 24% in CA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
11
Companies
33
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
$15,798 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$661
2023
$623
2022
$59
2019
$484
2018
$13,971
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Arthrex, Inc.
$487
Saxum Surgical, Inc.
$101
Ensemble Orthopedics, Inc
$73
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Medartis Inc.
$13,737
Arthrex, Inc.
$679
Stryker Corporation
$375
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$296
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$216
Skeletal Dynamics Inc
$141
TriMed, Inc.
$128
Saxum Surgical, Inc.
$101
Ensemble Orthopedics, Inc
$73
Linvatec Corporation
$36
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 93.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AEQUALIS · Aptus · BME NITINOL CONTINUOUS COMPRESSION IMPLANTS · DVR Anatomic Kickstand · Ensemble CMC · Geminus · HALL POWER · MAKO · NA · VA-LCP · 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.
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. Desai is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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. Desai experienced with collagenase injection, 0.01 mg?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Desai performed 1,826 collagenase injection, 0.01 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. Desai receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Desai received a total of $15,798 from 11 companies across 33 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. Desai's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Newport Beach?
Dr. Desai's average Medicare payment per service is $55. 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. Desai) 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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