Dr. Ferris Nickel, M.D.
What this data tells you about Dr. Nickel
Dr. Ferris Nickel is a sports medicine physician in Ventura, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Nickel performed 3,540 Medicare services across 1,253 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Nickel received a total of $1,441 from 17 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 24 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in sports medicine (orthopaedic 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. Nickel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint lubricant injection (Durolane) An injection of hyaluronan or its derivative, specifically Durolane, administered directly into a joint space. |
1,920 | $5 | $35 |
| 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. |
427 | $74 | $189 |
| 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. |
205 | $107 | $268 |
| Betamethasone steroid injection An injection containing a combination of betamethasone acetate and betamethasone sodium phosphate. |
168 | $5 | $8 |
| Ankle X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the ankle that captures at least three different angles to evaluate the bones and joints. |
106 | $31 | $85 |
| Foot X-ray, 3+ views An X-ray imaging test of the foot that captures at least three different views to evaluate the bones and joints. |
98 | $30 | $84 |
| 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. |
81 | $89 | $230 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
66 | $59 | $236 |
| Adult fiberglass short leg cast supplies Materials used to apply a fiberglass cast to the lower leg for an adult patient. |
62 | $37 | $57 |
| MRI of leg joint, without contrast A magnetic resonance imaging scan of a joint in the leg performed without the use of contrast dye. |
54 | $130 | $642 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
53 | $43 | $105 |
| X-ray of toe, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the toe using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
51 | $27 | $70 |
| Short leg cast application Application of a cast to the lower leg to immobilize and support the area during healing. |
48 | $70 | $231 |
| 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. |
36 | $45 | $119 |
| Joint fluid aspiration or injection, medium joint Removal of fluid from a medium-sized joint or injection of medication into the joint space. |
32 | $45 | $160 |
| 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. |
23 | $28 | $88 |
| 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. |
21 | $38 | $92 |
| 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. |
17 | $145 | $344 |
| Removal of deep implant from bone A surgical procedure to extract a deep implant that is embedded within the bone. |
16 | $248 | $1,565 |
| Application of below-knee walking cast A cast is applied to the lower leg, extending from below the knee to the toes, to immobilize and protect the injured area while allowing for walking. |
16 | $63 | $246 |
| X-ray of ankle, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the ankle using two different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
15 | $28 | $77 |
| Heel X-ray, minimum 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the heel bone using at least two different angles to evaluate the structure. |
13 | $27 | $76 |
| 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. |
12 | $40 | $95 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗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 (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
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 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. Nickel is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 21% 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
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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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