Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Michelle Paff, M.D.

Neurological Surgery · Orange, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice — Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
101 THE CITY DR S, Orange, CA 92868
7148807812
In practice since 2014 (12 years)
NPI: 1124443544 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. Paff 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. Paff? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Paff

Dr. Michelle Paff is a neurological surgery specialist in Orange, CA, with 12 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Paff performed 74 Medicare services across 68 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Paff received a total of $2,195 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 29 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in neurological 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. Paff 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.

✓ 12 years in practice ▲ 74 Medicare services $2,195 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
74
Medicare services
Bottom 15% in CA for neurological surgery
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
68
Unique beneficiaries
$89
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~6 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
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.
 41 $111 $597
Hospital follow-up visit, moderate complexity
Follow-up hospital visit for an existing patient involving moderate medical decision making. The visit requires at least 35 minutes of time spent on the date of service.
 22 $68 $327
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.
 11 $49 $291
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 ↗
$2,195
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $366/year across 6 years
Bottom 45% in CA for neurological surgery
13
Companies
29
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
$2,195 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$744
2023
$294
2021
$147
2020
$20
2019
$623
2018
$366

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
SK Life Science, Inc.
$430
Boston Scientific Corporation
$175
Neo Spine USA, Inc.
$96
Globus Medical, Inc.
$43
Top 3 companies account for 94.2% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
SK Life Science, Inc.
$430
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$421
Boston Scientific Corporation
$175
InSightec,Inc
$172
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$168
Monteris Medical Corporation
$157
Globus Medical, Inc.
$132
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$125
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$125
Neo Spine USA, Inc.
$96
Alphatec Spine, Inc
$83
Medtronic, Inc.
$65
Baxter Healthcare
$48
Top 3 companies account for 46.7% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTIVA · CODMAN CERTAS · CREO 5.5 · CREO Threaded · FLOSEAL · Invictus MIS · Mazor X Stealth Edition · Neo Pedicle Screw System · Neuroblate · Traumaone · Trestle Luxe II · ZERO-P
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.

Looking for a neurological surgery specialist in Orange?
Compare neurological surgerists in the Orange area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse neurological surgerists nearby

Geographic Context

Neurological surgerists within 10 mi
110
Per 100K population
3.5
County median income
$113,702
Nearest hospital
PROVIDENCE ST. JOSEPH HOSPITAL
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. Paff is a mixed practice specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Paff experienced with initial hospital admission, moderate complexity?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Paff performed 41 initial hospital admission, moderate complexity 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. Paff receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Paff received a total of $2,195 from 13 companies across 29 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. Paff's costs compare to other neurological surgerists in Orange?
Dr. Paff's average Medicare payment per service is $89. 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. Paff) 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.

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 →