Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Laurence Sands, MD

Colon & Rectal Surgery · Miami, FL
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Speaking/Promotional
1611 NW 12TH AVE, Miami, FL 33136
3055851288
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1609832922 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. Sands 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. Sands

Dr. Laurence Sands is a colon & rectal surgery in Miami, FL, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Sands performed 232 Medicare services across 218 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Sands received a total of $48,399 from 20 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 96 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in colon & rectal surgery. The majority of payments are for speaking programs and promotional activities, reflecting participation in industry-sponsored events. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Sands 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.

✓ 19 years in practice▲ 232 Medicare services$ $48,399 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
232
Medicare services
Bottom 39% in FL for colon & rectal surgery
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
218
Unique beneficiaries
$166
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~12 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
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)59$48$193
Diagnostic exam of large bowel using a flexible endoscope29$142$891
New patient office visit (45-59 min)29$97$507
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)25$78$299
Colonoscopy with biopsy18$152$1,064
New patient office visit (30-44 min)18$60$304
Diagnostic exam of lower portion of large bowel using a flexible endoscope17$27$261
Removal of polyps or growths of large bowel using an endoscope with mechanical snare14$228$1,263
Partial removal of large bowel using an endoscope12$1,475$6,690
New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min)11$152$660
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 ↗
$48,399
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $6,914/year across 7 years
Top 11% in FL for colon & rectal surgery
20
Companies
96
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.

Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$34,468 (71.2%)
Consulting
Expert advisory fees, typically reflecting recognized clinical expertise
$8,551 (17.7%)
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$5,380 (11.1%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$644
2023
$2,201
2022
$21,632
2021
$5,655
2020
$12,953
2019
$3,805
2018
$1,509

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
$36,616
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$3,195
Baudax Bio Inc.
$1,636
Covidien LP
$1,388
BAUDAX BIO INC.
$1,300
Medtronic, Inc.
$1,100
Medrobotics Inc.
$848
Ethicon US, LLC
$739
INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
$437
Innovation Technologies Inc
$223
FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation
$154
Sanara MedTech Inc.
$139
Celularity, Inc.
$109
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$107
Cook Medical LLC
$107
Mallinckrodt LLC
$94
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation
$88
Allergan Inc.
$60
Eisai Inc.
$37
Trevena, Inc.
$23
Top 3 companies account for 85.6% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ANJESO · CellerateRx · Cook Medical Surgery · DA VINCI SP · Da Vinci Surgical System · ECHELON ENDOPATH · ECHELON FLEX Stapler · ENSEAL Product Family · ENTEREG · Echelon Circular · Echelon Powered Circular · Enseal · Enseal X1 · FUJIFILM · HARMONIC Product Family · IRRISEPT · Lenvima · LigaSure · MONOCRYL · Mega Soft · OFIRMEV · OLINVYK · STRATTICE
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 →

The majority of payments (71%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in colon & rectal surgery and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware.

Equivalent to $20,862 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a colon & rectal surgery in Miami?
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Geographic Context

Colon & Rectal Surgerys within 10 mi
32
Per 100K population
1.2
County median income
$68,694
Nearest hospital
JACKSON HEALTH SYSTEM
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. Sands is a clinical cardiology specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, and high industry engagement (speaking/promotional, top 11%), 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. Sands experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Sands performed 59 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) 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. Sands receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Sands received a total of $48,399 from 20 companies across 96 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. Sands's costs compare to other colon & rectal surgerys in Miami?
Dr. Sands's average Medicare payment per service is $166. 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. Sands) 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 →