Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Stephen Updegraff, MD

Ophthalmology · St Petersburg, FL
Practice pattern: Cardiac Surgery — Surgically focused practice
Low-engagement
1601 38TH AVE N, St Petersburg, FL 33713
7278224287
In practice since 2005 (20 years)
NPI: 1245232446 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. Updegraff 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. Updegraff

Dr. Stephen Updegraff is an ophthalmology specialist in St Petersburg, FL, with 20 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Updegraff performed 1,528 Medicare services across 1,256 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Updegraff received a total of $1,056 from 8 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 23 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in ophthalmology. 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. Updegraff 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 ▲ 1,528 Medicare services $1,056 industry payments

Florida License Status

FL DOH · MQA
1
Active license
None
Board action on record
0
Recent admin complaints
Profession License # Status Expires Board Action
Medical Doctor 67224 Clear January 31, 2028 —
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 ↗
1,528
Medicare services
Bottom 37% in FL for ophthalmology
Lower Medicare volume may reflect subspecialty focus, hospital-based work, or a higher share of non-Medicare patients.
1,256
Unique beneficiaries
$211
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~76 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
Cataract surgery with lens implant 421 $422 $1,348
Corneal topography and eye depth measurement 283 $30 $100
Removal of recurring cataract in lens capsule using a laser 238 $242 $832
Imaging of front third of eye using a special microscope 114 $27 $80
New patient office visit (45-59 min) 85 $110 $340
Complex removal of cataract with insertion of prosthetic lens 84 $576 $1,850
Comprehensive eye exam, established patient 69 $83 $250
Retinal imaging (OCT scan) 62 $27 $80
Comprehensive eye exam, new patient 57 $87 $295
Ct scan of cornea 45 $24 $75
Eye exam, established patient, focused 40 $50 $180
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) 30 $70 $260
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.
27.6% high complexity
14.5% medium
58.0% routine

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$1,056
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $151/year across 7 years
Bottom 37% in FL for ophthalmology
8
Companies
23
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
$1,056 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$54
2023
$26
2022
$56
2021
$214
2020
$171
2019
$264
2018
$271

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
$476
Alcon Vision LLC
$207
Alcon Laboratories Inc
$150
Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$102
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.
$54
Astellas Pharma US Inc
$26
ABBVIE INC.
$23
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$18
Top 3 companies account for 78.8% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
AcrySof IQ PanOptix · AcrySof IQ VIVITY IOL · Catalys Laser System · Catalyst System · Clareon · DEXTENZA · ORA · Rocklatan · Tecnis 1-piece IOL · Tecnis Multifocal Family of 1-piece IOLS · VUITY · Whitestart Phacoemulsficiation System · XIIDRA
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 $69 per 100 Medicare services performed
Looking for an ophthalmology specialist in St Petersburg?
Compare ophthalmologists in the St Petersburg area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Ophthalmologists within 10 mi
184
Per 100K population
19.2
County median income
$70,293
Nearest hospital
ORLANDO HEALTH BAYFRONT HOSPITAL
3.0 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. Updegraff is a cardiac surgery specialist, with moderate Medicare volume, 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. Updegraff experienced with cataract surgery with lens implant?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Updegraff performed 421 cataract surgery with lens implant 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. Updegraff receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Updegraff received a total of $1,056 from 8 companies across 23 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. Updegraff's costs compare to other ophthalmologists in St Petersburg?
Dr. Updegraff's average Medicare payment per service is $211. 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. Updegraff) 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.

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 →