Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Chukwuka Okafor, MD

Orthopedic Surgery · Lakeland, FL
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
5050 S FLORIDA AVE, Lakeland, FL 33813
8636883030
In practice since 2007 (18 years)
NPI: 1699979534 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. Okafor 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. Okafor

Dr. Chukwuka Okafor is an orthopedic surgery in Lakeland, FL, with 18 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Okafor performed 3,734 Medicare services across 1,225 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Okafor received a total of $854 from 7 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 11 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopedic surgery. 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. Okafor 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 23% volume in FL$ $854 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
3,734
Medicare services
Top 23% in FL for orthopedic surgery
1,225
Unique beneficiaries
$49
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~207 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
Dexamethasone injection (steroid)1,339$0$10
Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min633$19$337
Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min)262$131$1,601
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)220$93$1,191
X-ray of lower and sacral spine, 2-3 views137$26$393
Electrical stimulation therapy123$7$119
Injection, ketorolac tromethamine, per 15 mg118$0$10
Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min76$16$306
Prolonged office or other outpatient evaluation and management service(s) beyond the maximum required time of the primary procedure which has been selected using total time on the date of the primary service; each additional 15 minutes by the physician or76$25$309
X-ray of upper spine, 2-3 views70$25$393
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min)70$159$2,285
Mri scan of lower spinal canal without contrast68$141$3,000
Mri scan of upper spinal canal without contrast45$148$3,000
Contrast dye for imaging, lower concentration45$0$198
Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 30 minutes43$78$922
Re-evaluation for physical therapy, typically 20 minutes43$52$630
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)38$60$813
X-ray of pelvis, 1-2 views35$19$355
Bone density scan (DEXA)34$35$430
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle30$11$222
Initial hospital admission, high complexity29$129$2,070
Injection of substance into middle or upper spine canal using imaging guidance28$201$2,757
Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 20 minutes23$59$930
Injection of substance into lower spine canal using imaging guidance22$198$2,512
X-ray of entire middle and lower spine, 2-3 views21$50$721
Knee X-ray, 3 views20$29$352
Mri scan of middle spinal canal without contrast19$140$3,000
X-ray of middle spine, 2 views15$24$340
Closed treatment of broken spine bone with cast or brace14$229$2,946
X-ray of middle spine, 3 views14$28$339
Shoulder X-ray, 2+ views13$26$325
Treatment of broken lower spine bone with placement of stabilizing device11$4,307$73,448
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 ↗
$854
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $142/year across 6 years
Bottom 23% in FL for orthopedic surgery
7
Companies
11
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
$854 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$23
2022
$111
2021
$17
2020
$527
2019
$110
2018
$65

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Medacta USA, Inc.
$509
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$111
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
$110
SpineSmith Holdings, LLC
$42
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.
$36
Coastal Medical Technologies Llc
$23
Intellijoint Surgical Inc.
$23
Top 3 companies account for 85.4% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AMISTEM · FARXIGA · Intellijoint HIP · MOUNTAINEER · SYMPHONY · Surgical Product Portfolio
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 $23 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a orthopedic surgery in Lakeland?
Compare orthopedic surgerys in the Lakeland area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Orthopedic Surgerys within 10 mi
44
Per 100K population
5.8
County median income
$63,644
Nearest hospital
BARTOW REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
8.3 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. Okafor is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 23% 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. Okafor experienced with dexamethasone injection (steroid)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Okafor performed 1,339 dexamethasone injection (steroid) 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. Okafor receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Okafor received a total of $854 from 7 companies across 11 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. Okafor's costs compare to other orthopedic surgerys in Lakeland?
Dr. Okafor's average Medicare payment per service is $49. 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. Okafor) 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 →