Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Christopher Birch, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgery · Santa Barbara, CA
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Consulting-driven
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. Birch 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. Birch
Dr. Christopher Birch is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Santa Barbara, CA, with 14 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Birch performed 21,085 Medicare services across 4,571 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Birch received a total of $73,509 from 25 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 145 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. The majority of payments are for consulting, which typically reflects recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Birch 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.
✓ 14 years in practice
▲ Top 1% volume in CA
$73,509 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗21,085
Medicare services
Top 1% in CA for orthopedic surgery
4,571
Unique beneficiaries
$39
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~1,506 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint lubricant injection (TriVisc) An injection of hyaluronan or a derivative into a joint space. The dose specified is 1 milligram. |
11,699 | $7 | $25 |
| Hyaluronan intra-articular injection, 1 mg An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative into a joint space. This procedure delivers 1 mg of the substance directly into the affected joint. |
2,883 | $8 | $52 |
| 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. |
1,429 | $98 | $450 |
| 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. |
974 | $72 | $300 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
684 | $92 | $400 |
| 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. |
536 | $38 | $196 |
| Knee X-ray, 1-2 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint using one to two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
469 | $29 | $148 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
317 | $9 | $35 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
281 | $55 | $250 |
| 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. |
245 | $122 | $700 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
204 | $39 | $150 |
| 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. |
202 | $117 | $614 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
194 | $147 | $600 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 172 | $6 | $25 |
| Knee X-ray, 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the knee joint that captures three different angles to evaluate the bones and surrounding structures. |
120 | $34 | $150 |
| Total hip replacement Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components. |
111 | $1,060 | $5,650 |
| Total knee replacement | 103 | $1,049 | $5,650 |
| Hip X-ray, 1 view An X-ray image of the hip joint taken from a single angle to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
93 | $28 | $148 |
| Hip X-ray, minimum 4 views An X-ray imaging test of the hip joint using at least four different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
73 | $50 | $200 |
| Prolonged office E/M service, first 15 minutes This code is used for additional time spent by a physician beyond the maximum required time of a primary office or outpatient evaluation and management service. It is billed in 15-minute increments based on total time spent on the date of the primary service. |
64 | $27 | $450 |
| Imaging guidance for procedure, 60 minutes or less Use of imaging technology to guide a medical procedure. This service lasts 60 minutes or less. |
61 | $13 | $50 |
| 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. |
57 | $77 | $450 |
| 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. |
52 | $140 | $850 |
| X-ray of multiple joints An X-ray imaging test that captures images of several joints simultaneously to evaluate their structure and alignment. |
21 | $34 | $150 |
| Surgical repair of broken thigh bone with stabilization or replacement This procedure involves surgically treating the upper part of a fractured femur by inserting a device to stabilize the bone or replacing it with a prosthetic implant. |
15 | $985 | $5,000 |
| Knee joint replacement Surgical procedure to replace a knee joint with an artificial implant. |
14 | $948 | $4,850 |
| Revision of thigh and lower leg bone components of total knee joint prosthesis This procedure involves replacing the bone components of a total knee replacement that connect to the thigh and lower leg bones. It is performed to update or fix parts of the existing knee joint prosthesis. |
12 | $1,397 | $7,300 |
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.
2.1% high complexity
76.3% medium
21.5% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$73,509
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $10,501/year across 7 years
Top 11% in CA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
25
Companies
145
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.
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$60,266 (82.0%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$10,536 (14.3%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$2,707 (3.7%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$34,613
2023
$5,482
2022
$23,118
2021
$857
2020
$1,639
2019
$3,671
2018
$4,130
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ENCORE MEDICAL, LP
$31,899
Cornerstone Medical Associates, Inc.
$2,010
ORTHALIGN INC
$154
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$150
Limacorporate S.p.A.
$116
Stryker Corporation
$97
ILLUMINOSS MEDICAL, INC.
$93
Arthrex, Inc.
$45
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$25
Ossur Americas, Inc.
$24
Top 3 companies account for 98.4% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
ENCORE MEDICAL, LP
$66,518
Cornerstone Medical Associates, Inc.
$2,040
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$1,739
Stryker Corporation
$845
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$797
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$510
ORTHALIGN INC
$154
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$149
Limacorporate S.p.A.
$116
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$100
ILLUMINOSS MEDICAL, INC.
$93
Esaote North America, Inc.
$72
Boston Scientific Corporation
$67
Bioventus LLC
$46
Arthrex, Inc.
$45
Osteoremedies, LLC
$40
Heraeus Medical, LLC.
$36
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
$25
Ossur Americas, Inc.
$24
Ethicon US, LLC
$21
FIDIA PHARMA USA INC.
$20
Heron Therapeutics, Inc.
$18
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$18
DJO, LLC
$15
Team_Makena_LLC
$3
Top 3 companies account for 95.6% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCOLADE · ACTIS · AMISTEM · ANATO · AUGMENT INJECTABLE · Anthology · Arcos · Arthrex · Avenir · DJO SURGICAL · DJO Surgical 3DKnee System · DJO Surgical AltiVate Anatomic System · DJO Surgical AltiVate Reverse · DJO Surgical CLP Hip System · DJO Surgical Empowr Acetabular System · DJO Surgical Empowr Knee System · DJO Surgical Exprt Revision Hip · DJO Surgical Foundation Knee · DJO Surgical TaperFill Hip System · EBI Bone Healing System · Exparel · G7 · GAMMA · Hymovis · INSIGNIA · MAKO · Miami J · NA · ORTHALIGN PLUS · PALACOS · PPK · Persona · Photodynamic Bone Stabilization Procedure Pack · ROSA · Remedy Spacer · Robotics-Knees · SMR Shoulder system · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · STRATAFIX · SYNAPSE · Supartz · Supartz FX Sodium Hyaluronate · T2 · TFN ADVANCED · TFN-Advance · TRIATHLON · TRILURON · VA-LCP · VARIAX · Velys · ViviGen · ZYNRELEF · Zilretta
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 (82%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
36
Per 100K population
8.1
County median income
$95,977
Nearest hospital
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH FACILITY
3.7 mi
3.7 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. Birch is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 1% in CA), with consulting-driven industry engagement in the top 11% of CA peers.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Birch experienced with joint lubricant injection (trivisc)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Birch performed 11,699 joint lubricant injection (trivisc) 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. Birch receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Birch received a total of $73,509 from 25 companies across 145 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. Birch's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Santa Barbara?
Dr. Birch's average Medicare payment per service is $39. 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. Birch) 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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