Dr. James Bates, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Bates
Dr. James Bates is an orthopedic surgery specialist in San Diego, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Bates performed 1,479 Medicare services across 983 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Bates received a total of $78,547 from 33 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 79 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are classified as financial or ownership interests (royalties, licensing fees, or investment interests). Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Bates 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.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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. |
284 | $102 | $350 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
228 | $59 | $250 |
| 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. |
171 | $69 | $250 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
153 | $42 | $126 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
135 | $5 | $16 |
| Viscosupplementation injection for joint An injection of hyaluronic acid or a derivative into a joint to provide lubrication and cushioning. |
117 | $58 | $336 |
| 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. |
81 | $86 | $350 |
| 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. |
76 | $42 | $135 |
| 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. |
40 | $129 | $450 |
| Total knee replacement | 28 | $1,068 | $5,107 |
| Computer-assisted surgery for muscle and bone procedure A surgical procedure involving muscles or bones that utilizes computer technology to assist with planning or execution. |
27 | $119 | $450 |
| Hamstring tendon lengthening A surgical procedure to lengthen the hamstring tendon to improve flexibility and range of motion in the leg. |
25 | $219 | $1,515 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
24 | $31 | $155 |
| Total hip replacement Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components. |
20 | $1,048 | $5,430 |
| 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. |
20 | $131 | $425 |
| 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. |
18 | $34 | $115 |
| Removal of both knee cartilages using an endoscope | 16 | $454 | $1,750 |
| Knee arthroscopy for removal of loose body or cartilage shaving A surgical knee arthroscopy procedure to remove loose bodies or foreign objects, or to shave damaged articular cartilage. This is performed in a different compartment of the knee during another surgical knee arthroscopy. |
16 | $70 | $270 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Payments are distributed across multiple categories with no single dominant type. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for orthopedic surgery in CA.
Geographic Context
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. Bates is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 10% of CA peers, with 19 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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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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