Dr. David Buchalter, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Buchalter
Dr. David Buchalter is an optician in Delray Beach, FL, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Buchalter performed 11,716 Medicare services across 2,418 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Buchalter received a total of $6,505 from 30 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 101 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in optician. 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. Buchalter 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.
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 (Synvisc) | 6,128 | $7 | $12 |
| Dexamethasone injection (steroid) | 2,290 | $0 | $13 |
| X-ray of knee, 1-2 views | 483 | $27 | $113 |
| Hip X-ray, 2-3 views | 467 | $36 | $165 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) | 396 | $69 | $267 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) | 296 | $99 | $378 |
| Joint injection, major joint | 267 | $55 | $147 |
| X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views | 191 | $30 | $148 |
| Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min | 169 | $18 | $71 |
| Neuromuscular re-education therapy, per 15 min | 150 | $24 | $70 |
| Knee X-ray, 3 views | 143 | $29 | $119 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) | 116 | $125 | $495 |
| X-ray of pelvis, 1-2 views | 94 | $22 | $119 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) | 89 | $71 | $330 |
| Aspiration and/or injection of fluid large joint using ultrasound guidance | 55 | $86 | $385 |
| Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min | 44 | $17 | $56 |
| Injection of anesthetic or steroid into joint between lower spine and hip bone using imaging guidance | 37 | $147 | $980 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement | 37 | $96 | $559 |
| Total hip replacement | 35 | $1,128 | $6,100 |
| Initial hospital admission, high complexity | 35 | $145 | $589 |
| Total knee replacement | 31 | $1,116 | $5,718 |
| Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views | 28 | $29 | $161 |
| X-ray of thigh bone, minimum 2 views | 27 | $28 | $165 |
| X-ray of both hips, 2 views | 21 | $29 | $165 |
| X-ray of knee, 4 or more views | 20 | $33 | $154 |
| Treatment of broken neck of thigh bone with bone implant | 16 | $1,077 | $6,900 |
| Application of skin substitute graft to wound of trunk, arms, or legs, 25.0 sq cm or less of wound 100.0 sq cm or less | 15 | $41 | $600 |
| Self-care/home management training, per 15 min | 13 | $21 | $56 |
| Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into other nerve or branch | 12 | $19 | $425 |
| Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 20 minutes | 11 | $75 | $200 |
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)
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
1.6 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. Buchalter is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 7% in FL), and high industry engagement (low-engagement, top 19%), with 19 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. Buchalter experienced with joint lubricant injection (synvisc)?
Does Dr. Buchalter receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
How do Dr. Buchalter's costs compare to other opticians in Delray Beach?
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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. 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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