Dr. Michael Shuler, MD
What this data tells you about Dr. Shuler
Dr. Michael Shuler is an orthopaedic hand surgery physician in Athens, GA, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Shuler performed 4,418 Medicare services across 1,877 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Shuler received a total of $93,291 from 8 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 97 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician. 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. Shuler is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collagenase injection, 0.01 mg An injection of collagenase enzyme to break down collagen tissue. The dose specified is 0.01 milligrams. |
2,340 | $52 | $100 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
266 | $74 | $262 |
| 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. |
249 | $25 | $205 |
| 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. |
226 | $59 | $177 |
| 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. |
151 | $27 | $133 |
| Endoscopic release of wrist ligament A minimally invasive procedure using a small camera to cut and release ligaments in the wrist. |
131 | $284 | $2,306 |
| 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. |
115 | $82 | $262 |
| Incision of finger tendon sheath A surgical procedure to cut open the protective covering of a finger tendon. |
106 | $158 | $1,753 |
| Methylprednisolone injection, up to 40 mg An injection of methylprednisolone sodium succinate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of up to 40 mg. |
103 | $3 | $4 |
| Electromyography of arm or leg muscles A test that measures the electrical activity in the muscles of the arm or leg using a needle electrode. It helps evaluate the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. |
96 | $63 | $560 |
| X-ray of finger, minimum of 2 views An X-ray imaging test of a finger using at least two different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
88 | $26 | $99 |
| Limited needle EMG of arm or leg muscles A test that measures the electrical activity in specific muscles of the arm or leg using a needle electrode. This limited study evaluates muscle function in a targeted area. |
67 | $44 | $393 |
| Tendon or ligament injection A procedure involving the injection of medication into a tendon or ligament. |
64 | $41 | $208 |
| Elbow nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to free or reposition a nerve in the elbow area. This is done to relieve pressure or irritation on the nerve. |
63 | $417 | $2,912 |
| 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. |
50 | $112 | $402 |
| Nerve conduction study, 9-10 studies A diagnostic test that measures how well nerves send electrical signals. It involves performing 9 to 10 separate nerve conduction studies to evaluate nerve function. |
44 | $156 | $627 |
| Wrist to finger joint removal Surgical removal of the bones forming the joints between the wrist and the fingers. |
38 | $624 | $3,608 |
| Nerve conduction studies, 5-6 tests A series of 5 to 6 tests that measure how well nerves send electrical signals. The procedure evaluates nerve function and helps identify damage or dysfunction. |
30 | $85 | $393 |
| MRI of arm without contrast An MRI scan of the arm that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of internal structures without the use of contrast dye. |
29 | $163 | $1,860 |
| Finger manipulation for connective tissue release A procedure involving the manipulation of a finger to release connective tissue after an enzyme injection has been administered. |
23 | $77 | $405 |
| Office visit, established patient (10-19 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting 10 to 19 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
23 | $38 | $125 |
| Medication injection into palm A procedure involving the injection of medication into the palm of the hand. |
20 | $65 | $348 |
| Elbow X-ray, minimum 3 views An X-ray imaging test of the elbow joint that captures at least three different angles to visualize the bones and surrounding structures. |
16 | $23 | $157 |
| MRI of arm joint, without contrast An MRI scan uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the arm joint. This specific procedure is performed without the use of a contrast dye. |
15 | $98 | $1,858 |
| Wrist tendon sheath incision A surgical procedure to cut open the covering of the tendons on the top of the wrist. |
14 | $154 | $1,584 |
| Open treatment of distal radius fracture with internal fixation Surgical repair of a broken wrist bone involving three or more fragments on the thumb side, stabilized with an internal device. |
14 | $803 | $3,700 |
| Hand nerve release or relocation A surgical procedure to release or reposition a nerve in the hand. |
14 | $171 | $2,243 |
| Nerve conduction studies, 11-12 A diagnostic test that measures how well nerves send electrical signals. It involves performing 11 to 12 separate nerve conduction studies. |
12 | $160 | $735 |
| Removal of cyst or growth from finger bone A surgical procedure to remove a cyst or abnormal growth from the bone of a finger. |
11 | $310 | $2,000 |
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Payments by company (2024)
All-time payments by company (2018-2024) ›
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
The majority of payments (44%) are for speaking programs and promotional activities, which reflect participation in industry-sponsored educational or marketing events. This is common in orthopaedic hand surgery physician and does not inherently indicate bias, but patients may wish to be aware. Total industry engagement is in the top 7% for orthopaedic hand surgery physician in GA.
Geographic Context
0.0 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 reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Shuler is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in GA), with speaking/promotional industry engagement in the top 7% of GA peers, with 18 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
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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. Data Coverage reflects 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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