Dr. Austin Pitcher, MD, PHD
What this data tells you about Dr. Pitcher
Dr. Austin Pitcher is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Oakland, CA, with 11 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Pitcher performed 15,177 Medicare services across 1,182 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Pitcher received a total of $2,722 from 7 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 10 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Pitcher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint lubricant injection (Gel-Syn) An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative into a joint space to supplement joint fluid. |
13,272 | $1 | $3 |
| Steroid injection (triamcinolone) A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
413 | $1 | $3 |
| 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. |
307 | $111 | $457 |
| 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. |
171 | $79 | $324 |
| 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. |
148 | $137 | $587 |
| 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. |
122 | $37 | $145 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
110 | $62 | $268 |
| 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 | $42 | $163 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
89 | $5 | $9 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
88 | $46 | $185 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
76 | $33 | $136 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
56 | $105 | $438 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
49 | $51 | $206 |
| 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. |
42 | $32 | $128 |
| Adult short arm fiberglass cast supplies Materials used to apply a short arm cast made of fiberglass for patients aged 11 and older. |
30 | $18 | $30 |
| 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. |
24 | $83 | $397 |
| 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. |
20 | $107 | $452 |
| Elbow to finger cast application Application of a cast extending from the elbow to the fingers to immobilize the arm. |
19 | $84 | $318 |
| MRI of arm joint, without contrast An MRI scan uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the arm joint. This specific procedure is performed without the use of a contrast dye. |
15 | $172 | $1,246 |
| 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. |
12 | $961 | $3,680 |
| 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. |
12 | $167 | $638 |
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 (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (68%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
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. Pitcher is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Pitcher experienced with joint lubricant injection (gel-syn)?
Does Dr. Pitcher receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Pitcher's costs compare to other orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in Oakland?
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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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