Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Steve Kwak, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgery · Van Nuys, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology
— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Mixed engagement
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. Kwak 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. Kwak
Dr. Steve Kwak is an orthopedic surgery specialist in Van Nuys, CA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Kwak performed 2,353 Medicare services across 1,213 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Kwak received a total of $52,584 from 43 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 376 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. Kwak 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.
✓ 18 years in practice
▲ Top 25% volume in CA
$52,584 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,353
Medicare services
Top 25% in CA for orthopedic surgery
1,213
Unique beneficiaries
$67
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~131 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extended-release steroid injection (Zilretta) An injection of triamcinolone acetonide using a preservative-free, extended-release microsphere formulation. The dosage is measured in milligrams. |
864 | $13 | $82 |
| 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. |
385 | $101 | $858 |
| 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. |
228 | $92 | $524 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 171 | $6 | $27 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views An X-ray imaging test of the shoulder joint using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
145 | $29 | $163 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
136 | $41 | $217 |
| 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. |
127 | $75 | $508 |
| 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. |
85 | $121 | $1,085 |
| Hyaluronan injection (Euflexxa) for joint An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative, specifically Euflexxa, administered directly into a joint space. |
67 | $101 | $652 |
| 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. |
31 | $40 | $218 |
| 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. |
20 | $36 | $198 |
| Arthroscopic shoulder surgery for bone shaving and ligament repair A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera to shave part of the shoulder bone and repair a ligament. |
19 | $144 | $3,365 |
| Total knee replacement | 18 | $1,101 | $10,812 |
| Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair A minimally invasive surgery to repair torn shoulder tendons using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
17 | $926 | $7,030 |
| 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. |
17 | $92 | $864 |
| Arthroscopic shoulder debridement A minimally invasive procedure to remove damaged or excess tissue from the shoulder joint using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
12 | $119 | $4,145 |
| Arthroscopic removal of knee cartilage A minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove damaged or loose pieces of cartilage from the knee joint using a small camera and instruments inserted through tiny incisions. |
11 | $448 | $3,625 |
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.
1.6% high complexity
56.5% medium
41.9% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$52,584
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $7,512/year across 7 years
Top 12% in CA for orthopedic surgery
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
43
Companies
376
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
$24,774 (47.1%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$15,464 (29.4%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$12,346 (23.5%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$19,295
2023
$2,211
2022
$4,147
2021
$1,925
2020
$13,386
2019
$7,982
2018
$3,637
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$13,968
Stryker Corporation
$1,469
Saxum Surgical, Inc.
$1,409
DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
$1,046
Arthrex, Inc.
$451
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$258
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$218
Innovation Technologies Inc
$169
Arcuro Medical Inc
$164
Kinamed, Inc.
$58
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$47
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$37
Top 3 companies account for 87.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$20,360
Arthrex, Inc.
$10,606
Stryker Corporation
$9,558
Saxum Surgical, Inc.
$2,822
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$2,483
DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
$1,496
Elite Orthopedics, LLC
$1,434
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$631
Wright Medical Technology, Inc.
$378
Innovation Technologies Inc
$248
Vericel Corporation
$229
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$212
Skeletal Dynamics LLC
$200
Micromed Inc
$168
Arcuro Medical Inc
$164
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$162
Lima USA, Inc.
$150
Horizon Pharma plc
$149
Iroko Pharmaceuticals, LLC
$137
Embody, Inc.
$134
Egalet US Inc
$70
Globus Medical, Inc.
$67
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
$63
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$62
Kinamed, Inc.
$58
SeaPearl Inc
$54
Nalu Medical, Inc.
$47
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$42
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$42
Paragon 28, Inc.
$40
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$37
Heraeus Medical, LLC.
$37
Bioventus LLC
$35
Zyla Life Sciences
$28
SI-BONE, Inc.
$28
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC
$28
Relievant Medsystems, Inc.
$27
Linvatec Corporation
$21
DJO, LLC
$20
AXOGEN
$18
FIDIA PHARMA USA INC.
$15
Daiichi Sankyo Inc.
$15
Kaleo, Inc.
$13
Top 3 companies account for 77.1% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
660HD-E IMAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM · ACCUPASS DIRECT Crescent XL · ACUFEX · AEQUALIS FLEX REVIVE · ANKLE FX · AUTOBAHN · Allocate · Ambient Wands · Arthrex · AxoGuard Nerve Connector · BLUEPRINT PATIENT SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTATION · Bioknotless Ethibond · Bioraptor Knotless · Bone Anchors with Arthroscopic Delivery System · CMF SPINALOGIC · CROSSFLOW · Coblation · Comprehensive Primary Stem · Comprehensive Shoulder System · DUEXIS · DYNACORD · Durolane · Dynamic Control Technology · EBI Bone Healing System · EUFLEXXA · Evzio · FAST-FIX · FLEXIBLE GUIDE PIN (STRYKER ACL VERSITOMIC) · FOOTPRINT · GRAFTJACKET · Geminus · Gryphon Orthocord · HEALICOIL · HEALICOIL PK Hip · HEALICOIL PK Shoulder · HEALICOIL REGENESORB · HEALIX · HEALIX KNOTLESS PEEK · HIP ARTHROSCOPY ACCESS & INSTRUMENTATION SET · HIPMAP · Hip Positioning System · Hipstruments · Hymovis · INSIGNIA · INSPACE · INTRAFIX · IRRISEPT · Intracept · LENS 4K · LENS Surgical Imaging System · LINVATEC SHOULDER ARTHROSCOPY · MACI · MAKO · MEDPOR CONTAIN · MICRORAPTOR · MILAGRO · MITEK CRUCIATE+ · MONOVISC · MOTIONSENSE DIGITAL GONIOMETER · Movantik · N/A · NA · NANO TACT FLEX · NANOPASS · NANOTACK FLEX · NOVOSTITCH PRO · NO_PRODUCT · Nalu Neurostimulation System · NovoStitch · ORTHOVISC · OXAYDO · PALACOS · PENNSAID · Persona · Physio-Stim · Q-FIX · Q-Fix · RADIAL HEAD PROSTHESIS · REGENETEN · REGENETEN Shoulder · RIGIDLOOP · Regeneten · SALVATION · SEGLENTIS · SIMPLICITI · SMR · SPATIAL FRAME · SPEEDLOCK HIP · SPEEDLOCK Hip · SPRIX · SYNVISC-ONE · Strensiq · SuperBall · TRIDENT · TRUESPAN · TRUESPAN ORTHOCORD · TWINFIX · TWISTR · ULTRABUTTON · VAPR · VIVLODEX · ZORVOLEX · 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 (47%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Geographic Context
Orthopedic surgeons within 10 mi
435
Per 100K population
4.4
County median income
$87,760
Nearest hospital
VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL
0.0 mi
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. Kwak is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 25% in CA), with mixed engagement industry engagement in the top 12% of CA peers, with 18 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. Kwak experienced with extended-release steroid injection (zilretta)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Kwak performed 864 extended-release steroid injection (zilretta) 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. Kwak receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Kwak received a total of $52,584 from 43 companies across 376 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. Kwak's costs compare to other orthopedic surgeons in Van Nuys?
Dr. Kwak's average Medicare payment per service is $67. 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. Kwak) 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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