Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Owen Palmer, M.D.
Surgery · Redwood City, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
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. Palmer 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. Palmer
Dr. Owen Palmer is a surgery specialist in Redwood City, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Palmer performed 894 Medicare services across 751 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Palmer received a total of $7,827 from 16 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 48 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. 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. Palmer 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.
✓ 18 years in practice
▲ Top 10% volume in CA
$7,827 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗894
Medicare services
Top 10% in CA for surgery
751
Unique beneficiaries
$131
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~50 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 (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. |
174 | $117 | $364 |
| Ultrasound of hemodialysis access An ultrasound imaging test used to evaluate the blood flow and structure of a hemodialysis access site. |
91 | $132 | $536 |
| Ultrasound of arm and leg arteries This procedure uses sound waves to create images of the blood vessels in the arms and legs. It allows healthcare providers to examine the structure and blood flow within these arteries. |
72 | $72 | $449 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in one arm or leg using compression and other maneuvers to assess blood flow and check for blockages. |
61 | $114 | $638 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
55 | $195 | $1,171 |
| Ultrasound guidance for blood vessel access Use of ultrasound imaging to help locate and access a blood vessel. This guidance assists healthcare providers in performing procedures such as inserting IV lines or drawing blood. |
35 | $12 | $77 |
| Telephone medical discussion, 11-20 minutes A phone conversation with a physician lasting between 11 and 20 minutes. |
35 | $76 | $98 |
| 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. |
32 | $156 | $554 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 75 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
32 | $149 | $704 |
| Ultrasound of arm or leg veins An ultrasound exam of the veins in the arm or leg. The test uses sound waves to check blood flow and may include compression and other maneuvers. |
31 | $190 | $1,037 |
| Complete ultrasound of aorta, vena cava, groin vessels or bypass grafts A complete ultrasound exam of the aorta, vena cava, groin vessels, or bypass grafts. This imaging test uses sound waves to visualize these blood vessels. |
30 | $158 | $889 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to create images of the arteries in one leg or any grafts present in that leg. |
28 | $129 | $766 |
| 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. |
28 | $75 | $247 |
| Sedation by physician, initial 15 minutes Administration of a drug to induce depression of consciousness by the physician performing a procedure. This code covers the initial 15 minutes of sedation for patients aged 5 years or older. |
27 | $11 | $216 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the blood vessels in the legs or any surgical grafts present. |
25 | $260 | $1,184 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 22 | $200 | $697 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for central vein access device Use of live X-ray imaging to guide the placement or removal of a central vein access device. |
19 | $16 | $139 |
| Insertion of tunneled central venous catheter for infusion, age 5+ A surgical procedure to place a long-term catheter into a large vein for delivering medications or fluids. The catheter is tunneled under the skin to reduce infection risk and provide stable access for patients aged 5 and older. |
18 | $204 | $4,367 |
| 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. |
17 | $68 | $252 |
| 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. |
15 | $110 | $478 |
| Hemodialysis circuit intervention with balloon dilation A procedure to insert a needle or tube into a hemodialysis circuit and dilate the dialysis segment using a balloon, with radiological review. |
13 | $175 | $5,322 |
| Complete ultrasound of abdomen and pelvis blood flow This procedure uses sound waves to create images of blood flow in the arteries and veins of the abdomen and pelvis. It evaluates the rate and direction of blood movement within these vessels. |
12 | $50 | $1,208 |
| Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with partial disc removal A surgical procedure to fuse the lower spine bones by accessing the area through the abdomen and partially removing a spinal disc. |
11 | $795 | $3,634 |
| Pre-op ultrasound of artery and vein blood flow for hemodialysis access An ultrasound exam to assess blood flow in the arteries and veins on both sides of the body before surgery for hemodialysis access. |
11 | $251 | $1,129 |
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.
6.6% high complexity
48.5% medium
44.9% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$7,827
Total received (2019-2024)
Avg $1,304/year across 6 years
Top 28% in CA for surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
16
Companies
48
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.
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$4,120 (52.6%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$3,706 (47.4%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$49
2023
$281
2022
$2,307
2021
$2,094
2020
$2,944
2019
$151
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Sirtex Medical Inc
$49
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2019-2024) ›
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$2,752
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,407
Penumbra, Inc.
$1,210
Shockwave Medical, Inc
$1,117
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$492
Silk Road Medical, Inc.
$329
Inari Medical, Inc.
$118
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$106
Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation Inc.
$71
Sirtex Medical Inc
$49
Boston Scientific Corporation
$45
LeMaitre Vascular, Inc.
$34
BIOTRONIK INC.
$32
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$28
Walk Vascular, LLC
$23
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$14
Top 3 companies account for 68.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
(6554) Periph Vasc Undiv · ARTEGRAFT VASCULAR GRAFT · ENROUTE .014 Guidewire · ENROUTE Transcarotid Neuroprotection System · EXCLUDER Conformable AAA Endoprosthesis with Active Control · Endurant · FlowTriever · GORE EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Thoracic Branch Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with Heparin · GORE VIABAHN VBX Balloon Expandable Endo · IN.PACT Admiral · Indigo System · Interlock · JETi All In One Non-Sterile Kit · LAVA LES (Liquid Embolic System) · Oscar · PIVOX Oblique Lateral Spinal System · REGRANEX · SHOCKWAVE IVL SYSTEM WITH THE SHOCKWAVE C2 CORONARY IVL CATHETER · SYNTEL EMBOLECTOMY CATHETER (SPRING TIP) · VenaSeal
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 (53%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.
Geographic Context
Surgerists within 10 mi
389
Per 100K population
52.2
County median income
$156,000
Nearest hospital
KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - REDWOOD CITY
3.2 mi
3.2 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. Palmer is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 10% in CA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement, with 18 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. Palmer experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Palmer performed 174 office visit, established patient (30-39 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. Palmer receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Palmer received a total of $7,827 from 16 companies across 48 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. Palmer's costs compare to other surgerists in Redwood City?
Dr. Palmer's average Medicare payment per service is $131. 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. Palmer) 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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