Medicare Enrolled

Dr. James Watt, DO

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physician · Fort Walton Beach, FL
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
1034 MAR WALT DR, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
8508632153
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1700087897 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. Watt 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. Watt

Dr. James Watt is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Fort Walton Beach, FL, with 18 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Watt performed 6,435 Medicare services across 2,629 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Watt received a total of $11,580 from 27 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 106 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. Watt 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.

✓ 18 years in practice▲ Top 12% volume in FL$ $11,580 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
6,435
Medicare services
Top 12% in FL for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
2,629
Unique beneficiaries
$48
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~358 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
Group therapy session941$10$57
Neuromuscular re-education therapy, per 15 min821$21$92
Functional activity therapy767$26$96
Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min623$17$88
Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg480$6$64
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)384$65$209
X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views292$25$95
Application of blood vessel compression device289$7$52
Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views207$24$94
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)174$90$310
Joint injection, major joint167$44$190
Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min151$15$83
New patient office visit (30-44 min)147$79$314
Mri scan of arm joint without contrast123$142$1,264
X-ray of wrist, minimum of 3 views120$26$105
Incision of tendon covering of finger90$181$1,646
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)89$39$125
Release and/or relocation of hand nerve80$311$1,304
New patient office visit (45-59 min)58$118$485
Injection into tendon or ligament53$40$184
Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from medium joint52$32$176
Prosthetic repair of shoulder joint, total shoulder40$1,150$4,731
Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 30 minutes35$73$221
Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from medium joint using ultrasound guidance33$55$243
Removal of growth of tendon finger or hand28$187$1,676
X-ray of elbow, minimum of 3 views24$24$102
Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 20 minutes24$67$218
X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views22$28$94
Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 45 minutes19$67$246
Removal of bone joints between wrist and fingers17$606$2,540
Transfer of tendon to back of hand16$297$2,249
Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from small joint15$33$162
Removal of connective tissue of palm and release of finger, first digit14$631$2,582
Ultrasonic guidance during surgery14$134$514
Removal of extensive shoulder joint tissue using an endoscope13$392$2,334
Mri scan of arm without contrast13$184$1,224
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.
0.2% high complexity
14.5% medium
85.2% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$11,580
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $1,654/year across 7 years
Top 23% in FL for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
27
Companies
106
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
$6,044 (52.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$4,336 (37.4%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$1,200 (10.4%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$1,307
2023
$1,151
2022
$5,017
2021
$3,557
2020
$65
2019
$160
2018
$322

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Sonex Health, Inc.
$8,620
CGG Medical Inc
$1,200
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$664
Smith+Nephew, Inc.
$188
DJO, LLC
$158
Stryker Corporation
$151
Kuros Biosciences USA, Inc
$117
Orthofix Medical, Inc.
$53
Maxx Health Inc
$46
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$43
Dynasplint Systems Inc.
$38
Globus Medical, Inc.
$31
Aroa Biosurgery Incorporated
$25
Ensemble Orthopedics, Inc
$24
Skeletal Dynamics LLC
$23
GRT US Holding, Inc.
$21
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$21
DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$21
ConvaTec Inc.
$21
Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$20
Bioventus LLC
$18
Mallinckrodt LLC
$16
Vericel Corporation
$15
Ortho Solutions Inc
$13
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.
$12
Osiris Therapeutics Inc.
$11
TRICE MEDICAL, INC.
$10
Top 3 companies account for 90.5% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AEQUALIS PERFORM · Affixus · Allocate · Arcos · BLU-U Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy Illuminator Model 4170 · Bioinductive Implant with Arthroscopic Delivery System - Medium · CMF · CMF OL1000 · Continuum · DYNASPLINT · Dynasplint · Endoscopy Instrument Systems · Ensemble CMC · Exogen Ultrasound Bone Healing System · Geminus · INNOVAMATRIX AC · MACI · ODOMZO · OFIRMEV · PROVIDENCE · Persona · Physio-Stim · Qutenza · REGENETEN Shoulder · SEGLENTIS · SX-ONE MICROKNIFE · Stravix · Summa Ortho Distal Radius · TRAUMA NAVIGATION SYSTEM · ULTRAGUIDECTR · 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 (52%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Equivalent to $180 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Fort Walton Beach?
Compare orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in the Fort Walton Beach area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physicians within 10 mi
1
Per 100K population
0.5
County median income
$79,097
Nearest hospital
HCA FLORIDA FORT WALTON-DESTIN HOSPITAL
0.0 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. Watt is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 12% in FL), and low-engagement industry engagement, with 18 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. Watt experienced with group therapy session?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Watt performed 941 group therapy session 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. Watt receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Watt received a total of $11,580 from 27 companies across 106 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. Watt's costs compare to other orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in Fort Walton Beach?
Dr. Watt's average Medicare payment per service is $48. 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. Watt) 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 →