Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Michael Piazza, MD

Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine Physician · Clearwater, FL
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1011 JEFFORDS ST, Clearwater, FL 33756
7274465993
In practice since 2006 (20 years)
NPI: 1801855580 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. Piazza 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. Piazza

Dr. Michael Piazza is an orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician in Clearwater, FL, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Piazza performed 1,459 Medicare services across 1,171 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Piazza received a total of $1,079 from 9 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 21 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic surgery of the spine 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. Piazza 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.

✓ 20 years in practice ▲ Top 34% volume in FL $1,079 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,459
Medicare services
Top 34% in FL for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
1,171
Unique beneficiaries
$67
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~73 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
Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg
An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication.
226 $9 $62
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.
224 $90 $640
X-ray of lower and sacral spine, minimum of 4 views
An X-ray imaging test of the lower back and sacrum using at least four different angles to visualize the bones and joints.
158 $38 $260
Trigger point injection, 1-2 muscles
A procedure involving the injection of medication into one or two specific muscles to treat trigger points.
104 $40 $290
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.
103 $68 $460
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.
102 $133 $910
Injection into lower spine canal with imaging guidance
A procedure where a substance is injected into the lower part of the spinal canal. The injection is performed using imaging guidance to ensure accurate placement.
82 $179 $569
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.
72 $114 $850
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.
65 $27 $196
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.
51 $33 $222
Joint injection, major joint
Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space.
40 $50 $379
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.
39 $40 $290
X-ray of upper spine, 4-5 views
An X-ray imaging test of the upper spine using 4 to 5 different views to visualize the bones and structures in that area.
35 $37 $270
X-ray of middle spine, 2 views
An X-ray imaging test that produces two views of the middle section of the spine to visualize the bones and joints.
27 $23 $166
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.
25 $27 $197
Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity
Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter.
23 $100 $710
Spine fusion with cage or mesh device insertion
A surgical procedure to fuse spine bones by inserting a cage or mesh device into the disc space.
21 $212 $1,430
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.
18 $32 $236
Tendon injection at attachment site
A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon where it attaches to bone or muscle.
16 $46 $300
Closed treatment of broken spine bone with cast or brace
Non-surgical treatment of a spinal fracture using a cast or brace to stabilize the bone and promote healing.
16 $251 $1,540
Office visit for established patient
An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present.
12 $16 $120
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.
1.4% high complexity
32.1% medium
66.5% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$1,079
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $154/year across 7 years
Bottom 16% in FL for orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician
9
Companies
21
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
$1,079 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$18
2023
$55
2022
$139
2021
$77
2020
$137
2019
$11
2018
$641

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medtronic USA, Inc.
$632
Medtronic, Inc.
$178
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$132
Stryker Corporation
$43
Mazor Robotics Inc.
$28
Checkpoint Surgical, Inc
$18
Amgen Inc.
$17
Egalet US Inc
$16
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$15
Top 3 companies account for 87.4% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Cervical-STIM · Checkpoint Stimulators · EVENITY · GRAFTON · KYPHON Balloon Kyphoplasty · MAZOR X SYSTEM · MazorX - Renaissance · NILE ALTERNATIVE FIXATION SYSTEM · OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION · PRESTIGE · RELIGN · SPRIX · Spinal-Stim · Trinity · UNID_PASS · YUKON OCT SPINAL SYSTEM
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 (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $74 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for an orthopaedic surgery of the spine physician in Clearwater?
Compare orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians in the Clearwater area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians within 10 mi
24
Per 100K population
2.5
County median income
$70,293
Nearest hospital
MORTON PLANT 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 measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Piazza is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, with low-engagement industry engagement, with 20 years of NPI registration.

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. Piazza experienced with methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Piazza performed 226 methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg 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. Piazza receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Piazza received a total of $1,079 from 9 companies across 21 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. Piazza's costs compare to other orthopaedic surgery of the spine physicians in Clearwater?
Dr. Piazza'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. Piazza) 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.

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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 →