Dr. George Balfour, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Balfour
Dr. George Balfour is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Van Nuys, CA, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Balfour performed 2,297 Medicare services across 466 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Balfour received a total of $2,204 from 7 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 10 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand surgery 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. Balfour 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min A therapy session using exercises to improve strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility. Each 15-minute unit is billed separately. |
567 | $19 | $37 |
| Electrical stimulation therapy Application of electrical stimulation to one or more body areas as part of a therapy plan. This procedure is used for indications other than wound care. |
465 | $7 | $20 |
| Functional activity therapy A therapy procedure that utilizes functional activities as part of the treatment process. |
441 | $30 | $48 |
| Ultrasound therapy, each 15 minutes Application of ultrasound waves to tissue for therapeutic purposes. The procedure is billed in 15-minute increments. |
434 | $9 | $22 |
| Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min | 130 | $17 | $25 |
| Evaluation for occupational therapy, typically 1 hour | 56 | $75 | $100 |
| 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. |
39 | $103 | $225 |
| 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. |
34 | $136 | $301 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
32 | $5 | $20 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
29 | $32 | $64 |
| Ultrasound-guided small joint aspiration or injection This procedure involves removing fluid from or injecting medication into a small joint while using ultrasound imaging to guide the needle placement. |
24 | $69 | $140 |
| 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. |
18 | $77 | $250 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
15 | $32 | $70 |
| X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
13 | $33 | $60 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2022 ↗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 (2022)
All-time payments by company (2018-2022) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
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 2022 |
| 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. Balfour is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 24% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 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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How do Dr. Balfour's costs compare to other orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in Van Nuys?
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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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