Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Gregory Carlson, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgery · Orange, 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. Carlson 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. Carlson
Dr. Gregory Carlson is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Orange, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Carlson performed 2,434 Medicare services across 1,695 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Carlson received a total of $15,796 from 45 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 255 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. Carlson 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.
✓ 20 years in practice
▲ Top 25% volume in CA
$15,796 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,434
Medicare services
Top 25% in CA for orthopedic surgery
1,695
Unique beneficiaries
$97
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~122 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
741 | $74 | $390 |
| 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. |
165 | $35 | $183 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum 6 views An X-ray imaging test that captures at least six views of the lower back and sacral spine to evaluate bone structure and alignment. |
130 | $56 | $268 |
| 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. |
129 | $90 | $482 |
| X-ray of entire middle and lower spine, 2-3 views An X-ray imaging test that captures 2 to 3 views of the entire middle and lower spine to visualize the bones and structures in these areas. |
113 | $64 | $323 |
| 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. |
112 | $30 | $157 |
| 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. |
108 | $29 | $145 |
| 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. |
106 | $37 | $189 |
| 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. |
98 | $114 | $900 |
| Remote patient monitoring management, 20 min/month Management based on results from remote vital sign monitoring for the first 20 minutes per calendar month. |
89 | $38 | $213 |
| 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. |
74 | $34 | $181 |
| X-ray of upper spine, 6 or more views An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using six or more separate views to capture detailed images of the bones and structures in that area. |
60 | $55 | $286 |
| MRI of upper spine without contrast An MRI scan of the upper spinal canal that does not use contrast dye. This imaging test uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the spine. |
55 | $104 | $899 |
| 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. |
48 | $47 | $235 |
| Spinal fusion of additional segment A surgical procedure to join an additional section of the spine to the existing fusion. This is performed as a separate or subsequent step to stabilize more of the spinal column. |
45 | $318 | $1,582 |
| Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space. |
42 | $210 | $1,045 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, each additional segment This procedure involves the partial removal of spinal bone to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is billed for each additional spinal segment treated beyond the initial segment. |
39 | $171 | $852 |
| 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. |
33 | $110 | $550 |
| Placement of stabilizing device to back of 1 spine bone in neck A procedure involving the placement of a stabilizing device on the back of a single vertebra in the neck. |
26 | $617 | $3,071 |
| Anterior spinal fusion with partial disc removal, each additional disc This procedure involves fusing spine bones together through an incision in the front of the body, with partial removal of the disc, for each additional disc treated. |
25 | $257 | $1,344 |
| Graft of donor bone to spine | 23 | $90 | $440 |
| MRI of middle spinal canal, without contrast This procedure uses magnetic resonance imaging to create detailed pictures of the middle section of the spinal canal. It is performed without the use of contrast dye. |
23 | $70 | $899 |
| 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. |
21 | $49 | $245 |
| Partial removal of spine bone with nerve release, 1 segment A surgical procedure involving the partial removal of a bone segment in the spine to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. This is performed on a single spinal segment. |
18 | $661 | $4,644 |
| Removal of deep implant from bone A surgical procedure to extract a deep implant that is embedded within the bone. |
17 | $188 | $2,659 |
| 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. |
17 | $28 | $150 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 3-6 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize three to six vertebrae in the back. |
16 | $621 | $3,089 |
| Home health plan of care certification Certification by a physician or allowed practitioner for Medicare-covered home health services under a home health plan of care. This includes contacting the home health agency and reviewing reports of patient status required by physicians. |
16 | $46 | $223 |
| Fusion of spine in lower back | 15 | $975 | $5,500 |
| Spinal stabilization device placement, 2-3 segments Surgical placement of a device to stabilize the front of two to three spinal segments. |
15 | $591 | $2,940 |
| 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. |
15 | $42 | $216 |
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.
5.2% high complexity
7.2% medium
87.6% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$15,796
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $2,257/year across 7 years
Top 24% in CA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
45
Companies
255
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
$10,160 (64.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$5,636 (35.7%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$1,086
2023
$954
2022
$3,172
2021
$7,237
2020
$400
2019
$500
2018
$2,447
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Globus Medical, Inc.
$805
ABBVIE INC.
$122
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$48
Ethicon US, LLC
$38
Avanos Medical
$29
OssDsign Incorporated
$22
Innovation Technologies Inc
$21
Top 3 companies account for 89.8% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Arthrex, Inc.
$4,436
NuVasive, Inc.
$3,737
DJO, LLC
$1,671
Gemini Medical LLC
$1,200
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$862
Globus Medical, Inc.
$805
Abbott Laboratories
$401
Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc.
$310
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$301
Stryker Corporation
$281
SPINEART USA INC
$216
Titan Spine, LLC
$161
Medtronic, Inc.
$152
ABBVIE INC.
$122
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$101
Ethicon US, LLC
$82
Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$80
Radius Health, Inc.
$80
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$68
Avanos Medical
$54
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$52
Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
$52
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$41
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$38
Nevro Corp.
$36
RedHill Biopharma Inc.
$35
AbbVie Inc.
$33
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$28
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$27
Merz North America, Inc.
$26
PFIZER INC.
$26
TerSera Therapeutics LLC
$25
Baxter Healthcare
$25
Bioventus LLC
$23
SEASPINE ORTHOPEDICS CORPORATION
$23
OssDsign Incorporated
$22
Intrinsic Therapeutics
$22
Innovation Technologies Inc
$21
SPINAL ELEMENTS, INC.
$21
Alvogen Inc
$19
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$18
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$17
Boston Scientific Corporation
$17
Stimwave Technologies Incorporated
$16
Forte Bio-Pharma LLC
$12
Top 3 companies account for 62.3% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACIS · ACP · AERIAL · AFFIRM · ALIF · ALTERA · ALVUE · Acadia · Allocate · Angled Lateral Instruments · Archon · Armada · AttraX · BARRICAID ACD (ANNULAR CLOSURE DEVICE) · BOTOX · Bonescalpel · Brigade · CATALYFT PL EXPANDABLE INTERBODY SYSTEM · CMF · COALITION · CODMAN CERTAS · CONDUCT · CONDUIT · CORRIDOR · Corbel · DERMABOND PRINEO · EXPEDIUM · Exparel · FIBERGRAFT · FIBERGRAFT BG MORSELS · FIBERGRAFT BG Morsels · FLOSEAL · Flexus · Hedron A · INTELLIS · INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM · IRRISEPT · IVS - AUTOPLEX SYSTEM · Intracept · LENS 4K · LICART · LYRICA · MONOVISC · Medical Device · Mesh · Modulus · Movantik · NA · NALOCET · NURTEC ODT · Nalu Neurostimulation System · ON-Q* PUMP AND ACCESSORIES · ORTHOVISC · OssDsign Catalyst · Osteocel · PERLA TL · PRIALT · PROCLAIM · Prialt · Proclaim IPG · Propel · Pulse · QUIKBLOC · RELINE · RESTORE · SKYLINE · SPATIAL FRAME · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SPINEJACK · STRATAFIX · SYMPHONY · Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System · Simplify Cervical Artificial Disc · Spine & Trauma 3D Navigation · StimQ Receiver Stimulator Kit Channel A US w Receiver · Strand Plus · TERIPARATIDE · TITAN ENDOSKELETON · TRIATHLON · TRIDENT · Tirosint · Tymlos · UBRELVY · VersaTie · VuePoint · XEOMIN · XLIF · Xeomin · 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 →
Most payments (64%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
361
Per 100K population
11.4
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
PROVIDENCE ST. JOSEPH HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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. Carlson is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 25% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 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. Carlson experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Carlson performed 741 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 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. Carlson receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Carlson received a total of $15,796 from 45 companies across 255 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. Carlson's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Orange?
Dr. Carlson's average Medicare payment per service is $97. 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. Carlson) 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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