Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Karen Zagar, M.D.
Rheumatology · Palm Harbor, FL
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
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. Zagar 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 →
Are you Dr. Zagar?
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What this data tells you about Dr. Zagar
Dr. Karen Zagar is a rheumatology specialist in Palm Harbor, FL, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Zagar performed 115,581 Medicare services across 1,651 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Zagar received a total of $21,407 from 45 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 1152 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in rheumatology. 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. Zagar 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 22% volume in FL
$21,407 industry payments
Florida License Status
FL DOH · MQA1
Active license
None
Board action on record
0
Recent admin complaints
| Profession | License # | Status | Expires | Board Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Doctor | 92979 | Clear | January 31, 2027 | — |
Data from Florida Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance.
License records are public under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
Verify directly on FL DOH →
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗115,581
Medicare services
Top 22% in FL for rheumatology
1,651
Unique beneficiaries
$11
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~5,779 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certolizumab injection (Cimzia) An injection of certolizumab pegol administered under the direct supervision of a physician. |
59,200 | $4 | $10 |
| Romosozumab injection (Evenity) for osteoporosis | 26,250 | $8 | $12 |
| Denosumab injection (Prolia/Xgeva) | 14,640 | $18 | $27 |
| Abatacept infusion (Orencia) An injection of abatacept administered under the direct supervision of a physician. This code is used for Medicare when the drug is not self-administered. |
11,125 | $34 | $70 |
| 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. |
817 | $92 | $170 |
| Non-hormonal chemotherapy injection This procedure involves administering non-hormonal anti-neoplastic chemotherapy medication via injection into the skin or muscle tissue. |
792 | $53 | $140 |
| Physical therapy exercise, per 15 min A therapy session using exercises to improve strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility. Each 15-minute unit is billed separately. |
664 | $19 | $60 |
| Manual therapy (hands-on treatment), per 15 min | 500 | $16 | $60 |
| Intravenous chemotherapy infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of chemotherapy medication directly into a vein. The procedure takes one hour or less to complete. |
222 | $96 | $260 |
| Zoledronic acid injection, 1 mg An injection of zoledronic acid administered at a dose of 1 mg. |
200 | $6 | $25 |
| Additional hour of intravenous chemotherapy This code represents the administration of chemotherapy medication into a vein for each additional hour beyond the initial period. |
150 | $22 | $75 |
| 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. |
129 | $129 | $200 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
101 | $8 | $15 |
| Bone density scan (DEXA) A test that uses low-dose X-rays to measure bone mineral density in the hip, pelvis, and spine. It helps assess bone strength and risk of fractures. |
80 | $37 | $100 |
| Injection, methylprednisolone acetate, 40 mg | 65 | $6 | $12 |
| X-ray of hand, minimum of 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the hand that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and joints. |
53 | $28 | $70 |
| Ultrasound therapy, each 15 minutes Application of ultrasound waves to tissue for therapeutic purposes. The procedure is billed in 15-minute increments. |
52 | $8 | $40 |
| Wrist X-ray, minimum 3 views An imaging test using X-rays to capture at least three different angles of the wrist bones and joints. |
51 | $31 | $85 |
| Evaluation for physical therapy, typically 20 minutes | 51 | $69 | $120 |
| 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. |
49 | $71 | $120 |
| Self-care/home management training, per 15 min Instruction provided to help patients manage their own care or daily activities at home. The service is billed in 15-minute increments. |
46 | $16 | $60 |
| 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. |
43 | $106 | $300 |
| Intravenous infusion, 1 hour or less Administration of medication or fluid directly into a vein for therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic purposes. The procedure lasts one hour or less. |
40 | $48 | $140 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 20 mg A 20 mg injection of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered. |
39 | $4 | $9 |
| Re-evaluation for physical therapy, typically 20 minutes | 37 | $51 | $90 |
| Knee X-ray, 4 or more views An imaging test using X-rays to create multiple pictures of the knee joint from different angles. |
31 | $34 | $100 |
| 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. |
30 | $33 | $150 |
| Drug injection, under skin or into muscle A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle. |
29 | $11 | $50 |
| Joint injection, major joint Removal of fluid from a large joint and/or injection of medication into the joint space. |
27 | $48 | $140 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 22 | $139 | $350 |
| Ultrasound-guided large joint aspiration or injection This procedure uses ultrasound imaging to guide the removal of fluid from or the injection of medication into a large joint. |
17 | $81 | $150 |
| Chest X-ray, 2 views An X-ray imaging test of the chest that captures two different angles to visualize the lungs, heart, and chest wall. |
16 | $25 | $50 |
| Methylprednisolone acetate injection, 80 mg An injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate, a corticosteroid medication. |
13 | $9 | $24 |
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.
9.9% high complexity
87.8% medium
2.4% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$21,407
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $3,058/year across 7 years
Top 22% in FL for rheumatology
45
Companies
1,152
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
$21,229 (99.2%)
Speaking / Promotional
Speaker programs, honoraria, and industry-sponsored educational events
$178 (0.8%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$4,475
2023
$3,189
2022
$3,425
2021
$3,069
2020
$2,288
2019
$2,659
2018
$2,303
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Amgen Inc.
$3,017
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$1,728
PFIZER INC.
$1,552
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$1,387
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.
$1,297
ABBVIE INC.
$1,242
AbbVie Inc.
$1,153
Janssen Biotech, Inc.
$1,128
UCB, Inc.
$1,053
Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.
$1,000
Lilly USA, LLC
$842
GENZYME CORPORATION
$728
AbbVie, Inc.
$684
Radius Health, Inc.
$677
Horizon Therapeutics plc
$604
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$590
Genentech USA, Inc.
$384
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$318
Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
$260
Sobi, Inc
$203
SOBI, INC
$143
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$142
United Therapeutics Corporation
$129
Dexcom, Inc.
$124
Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
$124
Mallinckrodt Enterprises LLC
$123
Mallinckrodt LLC
$110
Antares Pharma, Inc.
$85
Sandoz Inc.
$74
Aurinia Pharma U.S., Inc.
$62
Novo Nordisk Inc
$62
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
$50
IBSA Pharma Inc.
$47
Corcept Therapeutics
$35
Organon Llc
$35
Horizon Pharma plc
$28
Exeltis, USA Inc.
$27
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
$26
MEDAC PHARMA, INC.
$24
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA
$23
MEDEXUS PHARMA, INC.
$22
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc
$21
Celgene Corporation
$19
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$12
Avion Pharmaceuticals
$11
Top 3 companies account for 29.4% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACTHAR · AMJEVITA · Actemra · Arcalyst · BENLYSTA · Balcoltra · Bimzelx · COSENTYX · CYLTEZO · Cimzia · Crysvita · Dexcom G6 Transmitter · EVENITY · EVUSHELD · Enbrel · FORTEO · HADLIMA · HUMIRA · HYRIMOZ · Humira · IDACIO · INFLECTRA · KEVZARA · KINERET · KRYSTEXXA · Kineret · Korlym · LUPKYNIS · LYRICA · Mitigare · NONE · OCTAGAM IMMUNE GLOBULIN (HUMAN) · OFEV · ORENCIA · ORENITRAM · OTREXUP · Otezla · Otrexup · PENNSAID · PURIFIED CORTROPHIN GEL · Prolia · RAYOS · REMICADE · RINVOQ · Rasuvo · Rinvoq · Rituxan · SAPHNELO · SIMPONI · SIMPONI ARIA · SKYRIZI · STELARA · STRENSIQ · Strensiq · TALTZ · TAVNEOS · TREMFYA · Tavneos · Tirosint · Tyenne · Tymlos · Uloric · Wegovy · XELJANZ · XYOSTED · 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 (99%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $19 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Rheumatologists within 10 mi
50
Per 100K population
5.2
County median income
$70,293
Nearest hospital
MEASE DUNEDIN HOSPITAL
5.0 mi
5.0 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. Zagar is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 22% in FL), 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. Zagar experienced with certolizumab injection (cimzia)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Zagar performed 59,200 certolizumab injection (cimzia) 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. Zagar receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Zagar received a total of $21,407 from 45 companies across 1,152 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. Zagar's costs compare to other rheumatologists in Palm Harbor?
Dr. Zagar's average Medicare payment per service is $11. 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. Zagar) 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 →
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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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