Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Eric Freedman, M.D.

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physician · Palm Desert, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
36951 COOK STREET, Palm Desert, CA 92211
7603428444
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1417952797 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. Freedman 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. Freedman

Dr. Eric Freedman is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Palm Desert, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Freedman performed 3,132 Medicare services across 1,771 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Freedman received a total of $251 from 2 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 9 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician. 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. Freedman 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 18% volume in CA $251 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
3,132
Medicare services
Top 18% in CA for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
1,771
Unique beneficiaries
$40
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~157 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
Betamethasone steroid injection
An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate.
661 $5 $20
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.
551 $53 $79
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.
326 $80 $115
Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min
A therapy session using exercises to improve strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility. Each 15-minute unit is billed separately.
274 $20 $34
Tendon or ligament injection
A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament.
258 $35 $58
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint
Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint.
236 $31 $51
Imaging guidance for procedure, 60 minutes or less
Use of imaging technology to guide a medical procedure. This service lasts 60 minutes or less.
187 $34 $51
Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min 166 $16 $32
Electrical stimulation therapy, per 15 minutes
Application of electrical stimulation to the body with a therapist present. The service is billed for each 15-minute increment of treatment.
108 $9 $20
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint
Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space.
102 $35 $54
Injection of carpal tunnel 63 $60 $81
Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg 61 $6 $20
Incision of finger tendon sheath
A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon.
49 $178 $598
Hand nerve release or relocation
A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand.
40 $348 $450
Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement
Use of real-time X-ray imaging to guide the precise placement of a needle during a medical procedure.
26 $73 $106
Evaluation for occupational therapy, typically 45 minutes 24 $56 $82
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 2023 ↗
$251
Total received (2018-2023)
Avg $42/year across 6 years
Bottom 22% in CA for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
2
Companies
9
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
$251 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2023
$107
2022
$18
2021
$20
2020
$39
2019
$52
2018
$16

Payments by company (2023)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Axonics, Inc.
$107
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2023 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2023) ›
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$144
Axonics, Inc.
$107
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Axonics · 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.

Looking for an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Palm Desert?
Compare orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in the Palm Desert area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse orthopaedic hand surgery physicians nearby

Geographic Context

Orthopaedic hand surgery physicians within 10 mi
4
Per 100K population
0.2
County median income
$89,672
Nearest hospital
EISENHOWER MEDICAL CENTER
5.5 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 2023
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. Freedman is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 18% 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. Freedman experienced with betamethasone steroid injection?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Freedman performed 661 betamethasone steroid injection 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. Freedman receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Freedman received a total of $251 from 2 companies across 9 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. Freedman's costs compare to other orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in Palm Desert?
Dr. Freedman's average Medicare payment per service is $40. 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. Freedman) 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 →
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 →