Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Sara Simmons, M.D.

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physician · Bradenton, FL
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
8000 SR 64 E, Bradenton, FL 34212
9417921404
In practice since 2010 (16 years)
NPI: 1255662797 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. Simmons 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. Simmons? Request a correction or review of any data shown here. Provider portal →

What this data tells you about Dr. Simmons

Dr. Sara Simmons is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Bradenton, FL, with 16 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Simmons performed 7,317 Medicare services across 2,825 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Simmons received a total of $6,772 from 13 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 60 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. Simmons is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 16 years in practice▲ Top 5% volume in FL$ $6,772 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
7,317
Medicare services
Top 5% in FL for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
2,825
Unique beneficiaries
$29
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~457 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.

ProcedureVolumeAvg. paidAvg. submitted
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)4,569$1$5
New patient office visit (45-59 min)448$113$334
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)433$90$217
Injection into tendon or ligament390$37$109
Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from small joint341$36$99
X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views328$27$63
Injection of carpal tunnel133$73$160
X-ray of wrist, minimum of 3 views130$30$70
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)121$61$147
Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from medium joint95$42$104
Release and/or relocation of hand nerve83$326$892
X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views49$27$64
Incision of tendon covering of finger40$193$638
Cast supplies, short arm cast, adult (11 years +), fiberglass24$17$40
Injection into tendon at attachment to bone or muscle21$42$124
Application of elbow to finger cast21$66$178
Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement21$89$187
Removal of bone joints between wrist and fingers20$664$1,731
X-ray of elbow, minimum of 3 views19$25$63
Mri scan of arm joint without contrast16$161$329
Aspiration and/or injection of cyst of tendon15$44$123
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 2024 ↗
$6,772
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $967/year across 7 years
Top 29% in FL for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
13
Companies
60
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
$4,940 (72.9%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$1,832 (27.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$2,997
2023
$526
2022
$302
2021
$311
2020
$117
2019
$411
2018
$2,108

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Sonex Health, Inc.
$2,379
Arthrex, Inc.
$1,832
Stryker Corporation
$1,805
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$379
Endo USA, Inc.
$149
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$71
Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc.
$42
Integra LifeSciences Corporation
$27
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$22
Coastal Medical Technologies Llc
$20
Bioventus LLC
$17
Coastal Medical Technologies LLC
$15
Molnlycke Health Care US, LLC
$14
Top 3 companies account for 88.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACCOLADE · Avance · BLUEPRINT PATIENT SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTATION · CODMAN CERTAS · Exogen · HAT-TRICK · INSIGNIA · MAKO · SX-ONE MICROKNIFE · Stravix · Sx-One Microknife · XIAFLEX · 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 (73%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $93 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Bradenton?
Compare orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in the Bradenton area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physicians within 10 mi
7
Per 100K population
1.7
County median income
$75,792
Nearest hospital
LAKEWOOD RANCH MEDICAL CENTER
6.3 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPESWeekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOSMonthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util.Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open PaymentsCY 2024
Disciplinary History— Not publicN/A

This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Simmons is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 5% in FL), and low-engagement industry engagement, with 16 years of practice experience.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Simmons experienced with steroid injection (triamcinolone)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Simmons performed 4,569 steroid injection (triamcinolone) 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. Simmons receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Simmons received a total of $6,772 from 13 companies across 60 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. Simmons's costs compare to other orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in Bradenton?
Dr. Simmons's average Medicare payment per service is $29. 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. Simmons) 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. The Transparency Score measures 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 →