Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Ronald Crater, M.D.

Orthopedic Surgery · Temescal Valley, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
21634 RETREAT PKWY, Temescal Valley, CA 92883
9514936918
In practice since 2011 (14 years)
NPI: 1801172291 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. Crater 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 →
Are you Dr. Crater? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Crater

Dr. Ronald Crater is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Temescal Valley, CA, with 14 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Crater performed 1,353 Medicare services across 282 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Crater received a total of $774 from 10 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 40 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. 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. Crater 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 38% volume in CA $774 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,353
Medicare services
Top 38% in CA for orthopedic surgery
282
Unique beneficiaries
$28
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~97 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 (Synvisc) 944 $7 $27
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.
 120 $97 $227
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.
 109 $69 $161
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
 80 $62 $141
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.
 48 $115 $296
Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg 40 $6 $15
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.
 12 $92 $200
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 2023 ↗
$774
Total received (2018-2023)
Avg $129/year across 6 years
Bottom 31% in CA for orthopedic surgery
10
Companies
40
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
$774 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2023
$51
2022
$43
2021
$31
2020
$176
2019
$245
2018
$229

Payments by company (2023)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Bioventus LLC
$51
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2023 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2023) ›
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$175
Bioventus LLC
$154
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$113
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$103
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$101
Stryker Corporation
$44
ConvaTec Inc.
$36
DJO, LLC
$20
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$15
Arthrosurface Incorporated
$14
Top 3 companies account for 57.0% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCOLADE · AQUACEL · AQUACEL AG · BME NITINOL CONTINUOUS COMPRESSION IMPLANTS · CMF OL1000 · DHS · Durolane · EUFLEXXA · Exogen · Exogen Ultrasound Bone Healing System · HEADLESS COMPRESSION SCREWS · HemiCAP MTP Resurfacing · ORTHOVISC · SYNVISC-ONE · Sports Medicine Product Portfolio · TRITANIUM · 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 →

Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for an orthopedic surgery specialist in Temescal Valley?
Compare orthopedic surgeons in the Temescal Valley area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
Browse orthopedic surgeons nearby

Geographic Context

Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
279
Per 100K population
11.4
County median income
$89,672
Nearest hospital
PARKVIEW COMMUNITY HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER
8.8 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 2023
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. Crater is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Crater experienced with joint lubricant injection (synvisc)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Crater performed 944 joint lubricant injection (synvisc) 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. Crater receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Crater received a total of $774 from 10 companies across 40 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. Crater's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Temescal Valley?
Dr. Crater's average Medicare payment per service is $28. 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. Crater) 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 →

Explore related providers

Specialty guide
Understanding Orthopedic Surgery
Common procedures, typical costs, and what industry payments mean in orthopedic surgery.
Same specialty & city
Orthopedic Surgeons in Temescal Valley
Browse orthopedic surgeons in Temescal Valley ranked by procedure volume and transparency data.
Highest volume
Top Orthopedic Surgeons in CA
Orthopedic surgeons ranked by total Medicare services performed statewide.
Industry payments
Pharma Payments to Orthopedic Surgeons in CA
Which CA orthopedic surgeons receive the most from drug and device companies.
By company
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc. Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
By company
Bioventus LLC Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from Bioventus LLC.
By company
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC Payments to Doctors
See all physicians who received payments from SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC.
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 →