Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Stephen Helgemo, M.D.

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physician · Port Charlotte, FL
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology— Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Mixed engagement
18344 MURDOCK CIR, Port Charlotte, FL 33948
9416256547
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1235142969 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. Helgemo 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. Helgemo

Dr. Stephen Helgemo is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Port Charlotte, FL, with 19 years in practice. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Helgemo performed 4,970 Medicare services across 3,824 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Helgemo received a total of $19 from 1 pharmaceutical and/or device company across 1 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician. Payments are distributed across multiple categories and often reflect legitimate professional engagement with the medical industry. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Helgemo 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▲ Top 19% volume in FL$ $19 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
4,970
Medicare services
Top 19% in FL for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
3,824
Unique beneficiaries
$88
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~262 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
Betamethasone steroid injection1,280$5$15
New patient office visit (30-44 min)638$76$190
Injection into tendon or ligament480$35$115
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)465$63$140
Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from medium joint309$39$113
Incision of tendon covering of finger304$424$1,130
Imaging guidance for procedure, 60 minutes or less278$32$180
Office visit, established patient (10-19 min)272$39$75
Aspiration and/or injection of fluid from small joint271$25$104
Release of wrist ligament using an endoscope166$380$958
New patient office or other outpatient visit, 15-29 minutes164$48$128
Release of tissue of palm74$239$560
Removal of growth of tendon finger or hand41$481$1,180
Release and/or relocation of elbow nerve38$483$1,150
Transfer of tendon to back of hand35$317$700
Removal of bone joints between wrist and fingers32$650$1,540
Application of nonmoveable forearm to hand splint27$52$125
Cast supplies, short arm splint, adult (11 years +), fiberglass27$11$30
New patient office visit (45-59 min)25$118$290
Fusion of finger joint, initial joint16$451$1,078
Application of nonmoveable finger splint14$29$75
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)14$77$205
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.
0.3% high complexity
52.7% medium
47.0% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$19
Total received (2024-2024)
Bottom 3% in FL for orthopaedic hand surgery physician
1
Company
1
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.

Other
Charitable contributions, space rental, and other categories
$19 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$19

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Olympus America Inc.
$19
Top 3 companies account for 100.0% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
Single Use Electrosurgical Hemostatic Forceps
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 →

Payments are distributed across multiple categories with no single dominant type.

Equivalent to $0 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for a orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Port Charlotte?
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Geographic Context

Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Physicians within 10 mi
3
Per 100K population
1.5
County median income
$66,154
Nearest hospital
Adventhealth Port Charlotte
3.4 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. Helgemo is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 19% in FL), and mixed engagement industry engagement, 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. Helgemo experienced with betamethasone steroid injection?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Helgemo performed 1,280 betamethasone steroid injection 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. Helgemo receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Helgemo received a total of $19 from 1 company across 1 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. Helgemo's costs compare to other orthopaedic hand surgery physicians in Port Charlotte?
Dr. Helgemo's average Medicare payment per service is $88. 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. Helgemo) 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 →