Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Robert Szabo, MD

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physician · Sacramento, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
4860 Y ST, Sacramento, CA 95817
9167343678
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1386634665 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. Szabo 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. Szabo

Dr. Robert Szabo is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Sacramento, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Szabo performed 172 Medicare services across 147 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Szabo received a total of $27,212 from 30 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 128 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician. 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. Szabo 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 ▲ 172 Medicare services $27,212 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
172
Medicare services
Bottom 14% in CA for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
147
Unique beneficiaries
$87
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~9 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.
46 $44 $354
Tendon or ligament injection
A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament.
24 $22 $223
Incision of finger tendon sheath
A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon.
24 $201 $2,255
Joint fluid aspiration or injection, small joint
Removal of fluid from a small joint or injection of medication into a small joint.
19 $27 $242
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.
17 $70 $502
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.
15 $41 $434
Hand nerve release or relocation
A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand.
14 $349 $1,638
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
13 $20 $220
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 ↗
$27,212
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,887/year across 7 years
Top 9% in CA for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
30
Companies
128
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
$18,061 (66.4%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$8,902 (32.7%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$250 (0.9%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$539
2023
$1,514
2022
$4,777
2021
$2,365
2020
$2,237
2019
$4,237
2018
$11,543

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
AXOGEN
$281
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$176
Skeletal Dynamics Inc
$82
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
AXOGEN
$9,054
Sequoia Surgical, Inc.
$8,390
Evolution Surgical, Inc
$2,428
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$1,558
Stryker Corporation
$1,304
Medartis Inc.
$466
Bioventus LLC
$406
FX Shoulder USA, Inc
$340
Linvatec Corporation
$303
Arthrex, Inc.
$251
Lima USA, Inc.
$250
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$219
Skeletal Dynamics Inc
$216
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$210
Derma Sciences, Inc.
$205
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$176
TriMed, Inc.
$154
Alafair Biosciences, Inc.
$135
Arthrosurface Incorporated
$127
Acumed LLC
$127
WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, INC.
$124
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$117
Anika Therapeutics, Inc.
$112
Allergan, Inc.
$106
KCI USA, Inc.
$96
Checkpoint Surgical, Inc
$93
Alafair Biosciences,Inc.
$82
ExsoMed Corporation
$78
TEI Biosciences Inc
$75
Wright Medical Technology, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 73.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
A3 · ACTIV.A.C. · AEQUALIS · AEQUALIS ASCEND FLEX · AEQUALIS PERFORM · AEQUALIS PERFORM+ · AMNIOEXCEL · APTUS · AVANCE NERVE GRAFT · Aptus · Avance Nerve Graft · AxoGuard Nerve Connector · AxoGuard Nerve Protector · B1132N2AI300100 · BILAYER WOUND MATRIX (BWM) · BILAYER WOUND MATRIX BWM · BLUEPRINT PATIENT SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTATION · Bioinductive Implant with Arthroscopic Delivery System - Medium · Checkpoint Stimulators · Clavicle Plates · DYNACORD · Exogen · Exogen Ultrasound Bone Healing System · Geminus · HemiCAP Wrist · INSTRUMENTS-ORTHOPEDIC · INTEGRA MESHED BILAYER WOUND MATRIX · Integra · LINVATEC EXTREMITIES · Linvatec Extremities · NATRELLE SALINE-FILLED BREAST IMPLANTS · NEURAGEN · Physio-Stim Osteogenesis Stimulator · Product Portfolio · SIMPLICITI · SURGIMEND · TENOGLIDE · TITAN Shoulder · TRAUMA · Tactoset · VARIAX · VersaWrap · VersaWrap Tendon Protector · WristMotion · 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 →

The majority of payments (66%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 9% for orthopaedic hand surgery physician in CA.

Looking for an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Sacramento?
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Geographic Context

Orthopaedic hand surgery physicians within 10 mi
12
Per 100K population
0.8
County median income
$88,724
Nearest hospital
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS 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. Szabo is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 9% of CA peers, 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. Szabo experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Szabo performed 46 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. Szabo receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Szabo received a total of $27,212 from 30 companies across 128 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. Szabo's costs compare to other orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in Sacramento?
Dr. Szabo's average Medicare payment per service is $87. 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. Szabo) 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.

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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 →