Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Don Sanders, M.D.

Orthopedic Surgery · Torrance, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Consulting-driven
23560 CRENSHAW BLVD, Torrance, CA 90505
3107842355
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1134235179 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. Sanders 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. Sanders

Dr. Don Sanders is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Torrance, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sanders performed 2,379 Medicare services across 1,614 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sanders received a total of $81,619 from 11 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 76 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. Sanders 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 25% volume in CA $81,619 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
2,379
Medicare services
Top 25% in CA for orthopedic surgery
1,614
Unique beneficiaries
$113
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~125 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.
553 $74 $137
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.
298 $104 $189
Knee X-ray, 4 or more views
An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles.
282 $42 $105
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.
279 $29 $48
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.
217 $30 $85
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.
159 $85 $153
X-ray of both hips, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test that captures two views of both hip joints to evaluate bone structure and alignment.
143 $35 $64
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.
110 $139 $270
Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg 90 $6 $27
Hyaluronan intra-articular injection
An injection of hyaluronan or a derivative into a joint to provide lubrication and cushioning.
79 $562 $1,790
Total hip replacement
Surgical procedure to replace the thigh bone and hip joint with artificial components.
51 $1,094 $2,994
Total knee replacement 28 $1,086 $2,992
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.
25 $36 $95
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
23 $55 $122
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.
21 $50 $135
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.
21 $139 $252
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.
3.3% high complexity
14.8% medium
81.9% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$81,619
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $11,660/year across 7 years
Top 10% in CA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
11
Companies
76
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
$77,112 (94.5%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$4,506 (5.5%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$4,429
2023
$757
2022
$1,040
2021
$3,584
2020
$3,647
2019
$49,857
2018
$18,305

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$4,200
Stryker Corporation
$229
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
MEDACTA USA, INC.
$56,181
Medacta USA, Inc.
$20,931
Stryker Corporation
$2,250
Corentec America,Inc.
$1,208
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$253
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$219
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.
$161
Activ Surgical, Inc.
$148
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$146
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$106
Abbott Laboratories
$15
Top 3 companies account for 97.2% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCOLADE · AEQUALIS · ALLOGRAFT · AMISTEM · AMIStem · AQUAMANTYS · ATTUNE · ActivSight · Avenir · Bencox Hip System · GMK SPHERE · GMK Sphere · GMK Sphere Revision System · INSIGNIA · Kincise Surgical Automated System · MAKO · Navio Surgical System · PEAK · PROCLAIM · PROFYLE · Velys
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 (94%) are consulting fees, which typically reflect recognized clinical expertise sought by manufacturers. Total industry engagement is in the top 10% for orthopedic surgery in CA.

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

Geographic Context

Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
451
Per 100K population
4.6
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
DEL AMO HOSPITAL
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. Sanders is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 25% in CA), with consulting-driven 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

Is Dr. Sanders experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Sanders performed 553 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. Sanders receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Sanders received a total of $81,619 from 11 companies across 76 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. Sanders's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Torrance?
Dr. Sanders's average Medicare payment per service is $113. 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. Sanders) 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 →