Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Erik Stark, MD

Orthopedic Surgery · Oceanside, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
3905 WARING RD, Oceanside, CA 92056
7607249000
In practice since 2007 (19 years)
NPI: 1376669572 verify on NPPES ↗
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. Stark 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. Stark? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Stark

Dr. Erik Stark is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Oceanside, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Stark performed 14,758 Medicare services across 820 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Stark received a total of $33,848 from 19 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 89 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. Stark 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 2% volume in CA $33,848 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
14,758
Medicare services
Top 2% in CA for orthopedic surgery
820
Unique beneficiaries
$5
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~777 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
Joint lubricant injection (Gel-Syn)
An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative into a joint space to supplement joint fluid.
 12,932 $1 $6
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
 940 $1 $2
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
 182 $56 $212
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.
 182 $73 $200
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.
 163 $102 $275
Knee X-ray, 4 or more views
An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles.
 105 $34 $126
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.
 60 $27 $92
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.
 56 $120 $350
MRI of leg joint, without contrast
A magnetic resonance imaging scan of a joint in the leg performed without the use of contrast dye.
 46 $187 $761
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.
 30 $174 $760
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.
 29 $84 $250
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.
 21 $87 $330
Computer-assisted surgery for muscle and bone procedure
A surgical procedure involving muscles or bones that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning or execution.
 12 $117 $458
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.
0.1% high complexity
95.9% medium
4.0% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$33,848
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $4,835/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.
19
Companies
89
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
$24,894 (73.5%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$6,720 (19.9%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$2,233 (6.6%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$38
2023
$446
2022
$14,622
2021
$14,052
2020
$332
2019
$2,460
2018
$1,898

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Elevate Surgical CO
$38
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Arthrex, Inc.
$25,146
ImpactOrtho, Inc.
$4,440
SportsTek Medical, Inc
$2,338
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$858
Stryker Corporation
$433
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$103
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$75
LifeNet Health
$66
AXOGEN
$64
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$63
Elevate Surgical Co
$56
Elevate Surgical CO
$38
Ethicon US, LLC
$36
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$33
ENCORE MEDICAL, LP
$26
Arthrosurface Incorporated
$23
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$19
Acera Surgical, Inc.
$15
Anika Therapeutics, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 94.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AperFix Femoral Fixation · AxoGuard Nerve Protector · BIOLOGICS CONSUMABLES AUTOLOGOUS BLOOD PRODUCTS AUTOLOGOUS THROMBIN · DERMABOND PRINEO · DJO Surgical Empowr Knee System · EXPAREL · GlenoJet · GraftLink · KNEE & HIP IMPLANTS MENISCAL REPAIR MENISCAL CINCH · Latarjet System · MAKO · ORTHOVISC · Prineo 42 · Regeneten · Restrata Wound Matrix · SHOULDER IMPLANTS OTHER OTHER · SHOULDER IMPLANTS SPEEDBRIDGE COMPOSITE ANCHORS · Tactoset · Zilretta
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 (74%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.

Looking for an orthopedic surgery specialist in Oceanside?
Compare orthopedic surgeons in the Oceanside area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse orthopedic surgeons nearby

Geographic Context

Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
128
Per 100K population
3.9
County median income
$102,285
Nearest hospital
TRI-CITY MEDICAL CENTER
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. Stark is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 2% in CA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 17% of CA peers, with 19 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. Stark experienced with joint lubricant injection (gel-syn)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Stark performed 12,932 joint lubricant injection (gel-syn) 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. Stark receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Stark received a total of $33,848 from 19 companies across 89 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. Stark's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Oceanside?
Dr. Stark's average Medicare payment per service is $5. 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. Stark) 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 Oceanside
Browse orthopedic surgeons in Oceanside 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
Arthrex, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Arthrex, Inc.
By company
ImpactOrtho, Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from ImpactOrtho, Inc.
By company
SportsTek Medical, Inc Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from SportsTek Medical, 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

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →