Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Stuart Hutchinson, MD

Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine Physician · Santa Barbara, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
511 BATH ST, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
8059639377
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1922110329 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. Hutchinson 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. Hutchinson

Dr. Stuart Hutchinson is an orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician in Santa Barbara, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Hutchinson performed 1,395 Medicare services across 980 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Hutchinson received a total of $1,163 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 49 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic surgery of the spine 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. Hutchinson 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.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 24% volume in CA $1,163 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,395
Medicare services
Top 24% in CA for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
980
Unique beneficiaries
$95
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~73 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.
661 $103 $450
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.
154 $132 $700
X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views with bending
An X-ray imaging test of the lower back and sacrum using 2 to 3 views, including bending positions.
148 $34 $200
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.
90 $35 $148
X-ray of middle and lower spine, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test that captures two views of the middle and lower sections of the spine to visualize the bones and joints.
72 $30 $149
Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg 48 $6 $25
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.
44 $72 $300
X-ray of middle spine, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints.
32 $29 $150
Spinal stabilization device placement
Surgical procedure to stabilize a fractured vertebra in the lower spine by inserting a supportive device.
28 $387 $12,000
Spinal fracture stabilization with imaging guidance
A procedure to stabilize a broken bone in the middle spine by placing a device, using imaging guidance during the treatment.
26 $411 $12,000
Spinal stabilization device, each additional segment
Placement of a stabilizing device on an additional segment of a broken spine bone. This code is used for each extra segment treated beyond the initial one.
22 $174 $8,000
X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views
An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using two to three different angles to visualize the bones and structures.
22 $35 $150
Trigger point injection, 3 or more muscles
Injection of medication into three or more specific muscle trigger points to relieve pain.
19 $53 $250
X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views
An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using 4 to 5 different views to visualize the bones and structures in that area.
16 $43 $191
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.
13 $86 $400
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 ↗
$1,163
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $166/year across 7 years
Bottom 22% in CA for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
13
Companies
49
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
$1,163 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$92
2023
$52
2022
$140
2021
$62
2020
$20
2019
$273
2018
$524

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc.
$92
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$483
Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc.
$144
Medtronic, Inc.
$140
Boston Scientific Corporation
$134
Esaote North America, Inc.
$72
Team_Makena_LLC
$46
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$34
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$23
SI-BONE, Inc.
$21
FIDIA PHARMA USA INC.
$20
PFIZER INC.
$16
Fidia Pharma USA Inc.
$16
DJO, LLC
$15
Top 3 companies account for 66.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCURIAN · FREEDOM WRIST · HYMOVIS · Hymovis · INFINION · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · KYPHON EXPRESS II KYPHOPAK TRAY · LYRICA · OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION · SPECTRA WAVEWRITER · SYNAPSE · SYNFIX · iFuse Implant
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 surgery of the spine physician in Santa Barbara?
Compare orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians in the Santa Barbara area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians within 10 mi
3
Per 100K population
0.7
County median income
$95,977
Nearest hospital
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH FACILITY
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. Hutchinson is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 24% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, 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

Is Dr. Hutchinson experienced with office visit, established patient (30-39 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Hutchinson performed 661 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. Hutchinson receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Hutchinson received a total of $1,163 from 13 companies across 49 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. Hutchinson's costs compare to other orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians in Santa Barbara?
Dr. Hutchinson's average Medicare payment per service is $95. 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. Hutchinson) 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 →